Community Corner

Black Bear Spotted Twice in Bath

A black bear has also been seen wandering around Cuyahoga Falls and Stow this week.

The Bath Police Department had two reports of seeing a black bear Wednesday morning. 

WOIO reports that the bear was spotted twice in the area of Ghent Hills and also Rambling Way Drive and then seen walking down W. Bath Road. 

Bath police say the bear was observed in the Ghent Hills neighborhood at 6 a.m. By 8 a.m., it had moved west to the Arbor Green neighborhood.
"Residents should monitor their pets if outdoors. We will not harm the bear," police said on its Facebook page

Couple Sees Bear on Patio

Sarah Wells said she and her husband saw the bear, which she estimated at 300-400 pounds, at 6:30 Wednesday morning, reports our partners at NewsNet5.com.

She said they watched the black bear walk across a small bridge by their pond, up the stairs onto their patio and around their house back into the woods.

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“We have never seen anything like it! Just glad we had not yet let our dog out,” Wells wrote in an email.

A black bear was also seen in Cuyahoga Falls and in Stow this week: 

"Black bears are native to Ohio and there were more than 200 black bear sightings in Ohio in 2012. They are on the states endangered species list and all black bears in Ohio are protected by state law," according to a prepared statement issued on Facebook

Black bears are usually fearful of people and do not attack or kill adults, children or pets as long as the bear is given its space and not cornered. 

People should keep their distance and remain calm if they see a bear. DO NOT APPROACH IT, the police department warns. 

To report observations of black bears, call 1-800-945-3543. For more information about Ohio’s Black Bears, visit www.wildohio.com

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