Ohio bear sightings on the rise - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Ohio bear sightings on the rise

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CLEVELAND -

CLEVELAND (AP) - The number of black bear sightings is on the rise in Ohio.

Wildlife experts tell The Plain Dealer newspaper in Cleveland that they expect sightings to increase in the coming years.

That's because they say growing bear populations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia are pushing young males into Ohio.

Ohio's Division of Wildlife says black bear sightings have jumped from only about 30 in 1998 to 150 a year ago.

Most sightings are in the eastern half of the state but some black bears have been tracked as far west as Dayton.

State wildlife officials estimate that there are 50 to 100 black bears living in Ohio.

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