BELLEVUE, NE – Black bears, once native to Nebraska, have been considered extinct in the state for over a century.
According to ResearchGate, however, sightings continue to be reported, with one of the most notable occurring in May 2008. A young male black bear, cinnamon-colored, was discovered near Harrison in Sioux County.
The bear, believed to have crossed into Nebraska from Wyoming, was trapped in a barn at the Grote Ranch. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission officials made the difficult decision to euthanize the bear due to its lack of fear of humans, according to ResearchGate.
This was the first black bear collected in Nebraska since 1907.
Historically, black bears roamed Nebraska’s forests and river valleys, but their numbers dwindled by the early 1900s. The extinction was largely due to habitat loss and hunting.
However, recent sightings, including two bears near the Wyoming border in 2000 and 2002, suggest that some may be migrating back into the state from neighboring regions, according to ResearchGate.