ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (WTRF)
A black bear was seen walking past the St. Clairsville Police Department and the Belmont County Heritage Museum at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Someone took pictures and posted them on social media.
You can see the photos of the reported black bear here.
Black Bear reportedly spotted in Belmont County city
It was a hot topic of conversation all day.
The commander of Belmont County’s DWART (Dangerous Wild Animal Response Team) says black bears are not a threat to people or pets.
Deputy Tom DeVaul says if you see him, there’s no need to panic or call the authorities.
In his words, just enjoy the experience.
“They’re relatively harmless,” said DeVaul. “They’re scavengers. They will raid a dumpster, your grill, trash cans, bird feeders. They’ve been described as a large overgrown raccoon. But like any animal, you don’t want to corner it or frighten it. What I recommend, if you see one, is just enjoy the moment. You won’t see this every day. Leave him alone and he’ll be fine.”
DeVaul says from the picture, it appears the bear is a male, one or two years old.
He says if you want him to leave, just clap, yell or blow a horn.
And he’ll move on.