BEACHWOOD, Ohio (WOIO) – Residents in several Northeast Ohio communities say they’ve recently spotted black bears on home security cameras, including new videos and pictures from Beachwood, Pepper Pike and Garfield Heights.
In Pepper Pike, a black bear was recorded on a driveway camera Sunday around 12:30 a.m.
Another sighting was reported in Beachwood, a bear was caught on camera in a backyard Sunday around 5 a.m.
“I know we’re close to Pennsylvania and I know there have been bears in other areas of Ohio, but no, not in my backyard. Definitely not,” said Beachwood resident, Nancy Lipko.
Then, in Garfield Heights, video showed a black bear walking across another yard around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.
I had no idea about those other bears until I posted my bear,” said a Garfield Heights resident. “I have a dog and so I don’t know how that would have turned out, you know. I might have had to fight a bear.”
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) says black bear sightings have become more common across the state. ODNR previously reported it logged 537 bear sightings last year, the most ever recorded, up from 370 the year before.
The agency says the increase is largely due to growing bear populations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia pushing west into Ohio.
“I spent the whole morning texting everyone the picture and saying, this was my yard, this is when it was, you know, keep your dogs on a leash,” said Lipko.
ODNR notes bears typically avoid people, but neighborhoods can attract them if there are easy food sources available.
The agency advises residents not to approach a bear, to keep pets inside, and to remove potential attractants such as trash, pet food and bird seed.
ODNR says bear activity and sightings can happen throughout the year, but they’re often most common in late spring and early summer.
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