Although there have been occasional unconfirmed reports of bears in Indiana, the DNR said the St. Joseph County bear is Indiana's first verified presence of a wild black bear … Not all Bear sightings are reported, myself I don’t report them, unless people or the bear itself could be at risk. Bears lived in Indiana over a 100 years ago and authorities say that the bears in Indiana are extinct. Indiana could be next, due to a … According to DNR, a vehicle hit the bear … “We don’t think we have one right now,” said Albers. The bears are even establishing new populations, mostly recently in Ohio, where there are an estimated 50-100 bears. Southern Indiana has some bears and mountain lions, as well as coyotes, white tail deer, and red tail hawks. If manufacturing gummies was an Olympic sport, then our World's Best Gummies would take home the gold every time; Soft texture, Intense Flavor, Gluten Free, Fat Free and good looking enough to make Brad Pitt jealous. Young black bears are known to disperse in the springtime as they seek new territory in which to settle. Wolf. If endangered animal species are a concern of yours, then grizzly bears may be of particular interest. Indiana isn’t a state you should head to if you want to gaze at mountains. INDIANA – Indiana may be completely bare of bears. Would you like to merge this question into it? These 12 Epic Hills In Indiana Will Drop Your Jaw. However, Alaska does have a significantly larger population of the big bears. Gummies. Back in the day, black bears were historically abundant across Indiana and sightings were common. DNR says the bear likely swam across the Ohio River from Kentucky, where there’s an expanding black bear population. These sighting comes roughly a year after a black bear wandered into northwest Indiana from Michigan. There have been sightings of black bears in Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge and Hoosier National Forest. However, after years of hunting and habitat loss, the black bear was extirpated from many areas, including Indiana. More bears are likely for Indiana. SAVE CANCEL. However, there have been a few confirmed sightings of bears in recent years in the state. I do know there are plenty of bobcats across Indiana but they are very elusive and hate people. Indiana has not had a resident bear population (since) before the Civil War." Black bears were eradicated in Indiana in the 1800s because of hunting and loss of habitat. Although there have been occasional unconfirmed reports of bears in Indiana, this is the first verified presence of a bear in the state in more than 140 years. already exists. Indiana has a wide range of animals. Cougars are the same way. If there are any in Indiana, they are very shy and hate being around people. Black bears are native to Indiana and are listed as a species of special concern. Rising populations in other states, coupled with the bear management plan of Indiana's northern neighbor, suggest bears … – Officials with the Department of Natural Resources confirmed the presence of a black bear in southern Indiana. How will we handle them? Although black bears were once common in Indiana, there hasn’t been a resident population since before the Civil War. Answers.com ® Categories Animal Life Mammals Land Mammals Bears Brown Bears What was the last known bear in Indiana? Black Bears would be the species of bear that you would possibly see in Indiana. These sighting comes roughly a year after a …