Confirmed sightings of a black bear are coming out of Williamson County this morning.
Just after 6am Thursday, Williamson County Sheriff Deputies responded to the report of a black bear in the area of Galatia Post Road and Angelville Road in the northeastern part of Williamson County.
On the county's Facebook page, Sheriff Jeff Diederich stated, “This is a confirmed sighting with multiple witnesses. The public should not approach the bear and are asked to report future sightings to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office at 618.997.6541.” The post also includes pictures of the bear sitting under a tree in a residential yard near a child's trampoline and swing set.
This comes just 7 days after Carrier Mills Chief of Police, Scott Isaacs alerted the public of confirmed sightings of a black bear at large in the Village of Carrier Mills. At that time, he stated that Illinois Department of Natural Resources was contacted and Conservation Police were monitoring the situation.
IDNR Conservation Police Officer, Chris Johnson told WSIU that bears are not common in the region and that it is highly possible that it is the same bear that was photographed in both areas. He added that our neighboring states have bear populations, so this bear is likely just moving through in search of his own kind.
For more information concerning bears in Illinois, visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources "Wildlife Illinois" website.
