Rare black bear spotted in Illinois for third time this year

In Gurnee, Illinois, in the United States, black bears, which had been considered extremely rare in recent years, have been seen more frequently. In particular, the animal was spotted in a car park.

The local police wrote on their Facebook page that they received a call about the bear at around 8:45 am. Officers immediately went to the car park, but did not find the animal.

Black bears used to be common in Illinois, but they were driven out of the state in 1870. Although there are no populations of these varmints there now, they can enter the state from neighbouring Missouri and Wisconsin.

Over the past 20 years, black bears have been seen in Illinois only eight times. In 2023, three such cases have already been recorded.

"It's a result of them running out of space in other states and going in search of a place to call home," said Chris Jacques of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

"We're seeing more and more of this happening, and I suspect it will continue to happen," he added.