There were 537 black bear sightings in the state last year
NEED TO KNOW
- A 576-pound black bear was collared in Ohio to track its movements and study its behavior
- Black bear sightings in Ohio have reached record highs with 537 sightings reported in 2025 across 69 counties
- Black bears were eradicated in Ohio by 1850 but began reappearing in the 1930s and are now being closely monitored
A tracking collar has been placed on a massive bear in Ohio for research purposes as bear sightings increase across the state.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Gantchoff Lab at the University of Dayton placed a collar on a 576-pound male black bear in Ashtabula County to track him.
“Thanks to this effort, the bear’s movement and behavior can now be tracked, helping to inform research and further our knowledge of this magnificent species,” the division wrote in a June 11 Facebook post.
The post includes three photos of the large animal wearing the collar. One of the photos shows the bear being cooled with ice cubes, while the others show him licking his front limb and sitting in the forest…