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Bear spotted near Springboro heading into neighboring county

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By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer Updated 5:02 PM Thursday, July 2, 2009

SPRINGBORO — The young black bear spotted over the past month in and around Springboro is headed southeast through neighboring Clinton County, state wildlife officials said on Thursday, July 2.

“He’s been through Clarksville (on the Warren-Clinton county border). This morning he was sighted between New Vienna and Lynchburg,” said Brett Beatty, assistant wildlife management supervisor for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife.

While suspecting the bear is headed away from suburbanizing Warren County, Beatty wasn’t ready to say the area had seen the last of animal, believed to be a two-year-old male looking for a home range.

“It seems like it. You never know,” Beatty said. “He may be done with his wanderings.”

Residents reported several sightings — one captured on video — on June 9 and June 10 in the area between Waynesville and Springboro in northern Warren County. The bear was also spotted swimming the Great Miami River from Miamisburg to Franklin, west of Interstate 75, around this time, Beatty said.

Then about two weeks later, on Monday, June 22, the bear was reported on Countryside Lane in the Fieldstone subdivision in Springboro, police said.

On Wednesday, June 24, workers and patients at a dialysis center just east of I-75, on the edge of Springboro, reported a bear matching the description from the earlier sightings wander across the parking lot and back into woods leading into the city.

Springboro police had no other reports, nor were they able to confirm the sightings.

Since then, police in Clearcreek Twp. had three reports, two about 30 minutes apart on Saturday, June 27, near Lytle Five Points Road and Ohio 48. One caller reported their dogs chasing the bear, the other call reported the bear running through a cemetery, police said.

The final report, on Monday, June 29, was from residents on Red Lion-Five Points Road.

“They heard the bear groaning in the woods,” said Sgt. Wally Stacy of the Clearcreek Twp. Police Department.

Despite the numerous sightings, the bear has caused few problems.

“He maybe tipped over a trash can or two. Other than that, he’s been very well behaved,” Beatty said.

A century ago, bears were practically nonexistent in Ohio, due to hunting and destruction of wooded habitat.

Today, Ohioans should expect more and more bear sightings, as they expand their ranging in the state, Beatty said.

“People can survive, wildlife can survive, side-by-side,” he said.

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Rednecks in Springboro? What kind of comment is that? Takes one to know one.

G
9:17 AM, 7/4/2009

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Re: (STUPID)Wait a minute. I think that might of been a play on words, kinda like a joke.. I mean get real. If i was a bear, do you really think i`d even consider going into Dayton in the first place. Not unless i was looking to become somebody`s living room rug...!

FreedomWriter
11:00 PM, 7/3/2009

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why can't we just leave him alone? it's a baby bear for crying out loud. with all the rednecks that live in springboro and the surrounding cities, it's just a matter of time before he gets shot. and freedom writer.. he didnt go to dayton because there isn't as much wooded area in dayton as there is in springboro & lebanon. what's he supposed to do,go live on someones front porch?

stupid
10:43 PM, 7/3/2009

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why not do the ethical thing and trap this 2 yr old bear and take him to his own enviroment before some stupid person hurts him! hes looking for a mate! take him to ky before he inocentily hurts a pet or child!

lynda
10:39 PM, 7/3/2009

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Let the bears pay the bear tax. I already pay a Homer tax.

HOMER
2:25 PM, 7/3/2009

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