SAND SPRINGS, Okla. –
Residents in Sand Springs feared a possible bear sighting after a social media photo showed an animal that some say resembled a bear.
Where and When
The social media post featured a photo with the stamp date of December 30, 2025, and also the message “As if 2025 could not get any more wild.” The original poster told News On 6 that it was from the family’s deer cam, located off West 41st Street, near Discovery Land. She thought it might be a bear.
“I didn’t mean to stir anything up… just thought it was neat that we had a bear on the property in our town. We know bears are in Oklahoma, just not commonly seen this far west,” wrote the poster.
Neighbors Have Concerns
Even though most properties are located near wooded areas, the idea of a bear was still far-fetched and a surprise to most, including Tammy Taylor.
“It would probably be a big surprise. We have never seen a bear out here. I’ve never even heard of a bear being out here,” said Taylor, who has lived in the area known as Prattville for about 40 years.
Susanna Kramer has lived in the area for nearly 30 years, and she also thought it was a bear.
“It looks like a bear to me. I don’t—I couldn’t tell you what color it is,” said Kramer, who says she has been more worried about packs of dogs than bears.
“We don’t have a lot of police cars. We don’t have a lot of, you know, any of that out here. So I’m not concerned about it until I see him walking around my back deck or up in here, then I’ll get concerned,” said Kramer
Department of Wildlife Conservation Weighs In
News On 6 reached out to Matt Hensley of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. He says several staffers looked at the photo of the animal and “Agree it looks more like a pig than a bear.”