COLUMBUS, Ohio - As Trumbull County residents report at least four black bear sightings this month, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced that it has intensified its research into the species' expansion in the Valley and across the state.

Bears have been recorded in recent weeks on home surveillance cameras in Lordstown, Howland, and Cortland.

Considered a state-endangered species in Ohio, black bears were eliminated from the state in the mid-1800s. However, in recent decades, healthy populations from neighboring states have led to natural recolonization, particularly in northeast and southeast Ohio, according to the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

To better understand this expansion, the ODNR Division of Wildlife, in partnership with the University of Dayton’s Gantchoff Lab, recently collared a female black bear in Ashtabula County. The 5- to 10-year-old bear, weighing 198 pounds, was captured on private land on June 3, fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) collar, and released unharmed at the same location. This marks the first time a female black bear in Ohio has been fitted with such a device.

The GPS collars remotely transmit location data, providing researchers with insights into bears' habitat use, home range size, survival rates, and reproductive status, including litter size and frequency. The collar is designed to fall off automatically after about 18 months.

The research project aims to collar 10 to 20 Ohio resident black bears in the coming years. In addition to the newly collared female, the project has been monitoring a male bear collared in northeast Ohio in July 2024.

ODNR officials note that most bears seen in Ohio are likely young males roaming from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The males typically wander widely in search of mates and territory and are unlikely to remain in an area long term unless a resident female is present. The presence of female bears establishing home ranges, often with cubs, is a stronger indicator of a species' return. Confirmed instances of female black bears with cubs have been recorded in northeast Ohio in recent years.

The Division of Wildlife relies on public reports to monitor Ohio’s growing black bear population, as well as other species like gray fox, badger, weasel, and bobcat. Residents can report observations, including photos or videos, through the HuntFish OH mobile app or at wildohio.gov.

If encountering a black bear, the ODNR advises remaining calm and not running. Raising hands to appear larger and clapping or shouting can help scare the bear away.