LAKE COUNTY, Ohio — A resident in Lake County got an unexpected visit this weekend when a black bear turned up on the footage of her home security system.
The video, which you can see in the player above, was provided to us by Molly West. It comes less than a week after the Lake County Sheriff's Office warned of black bears in the area after they were initially spotted on Lockwood Ridge in Concord Township.
"Black bears, the most common of bears in our area, were originally greatly hunted in the late 1800s which made them an endangered species in Ohio. However today black bears are more frequently spotted in Ohio with 191 sightings last year in 43 of our counties. They are more frequently spotted in Ashtabula county, Lake county and Geauga County, as well as southern Ohio," Lake County Sheriff's Office Sheriff Frank Leonbruno wrote on his official Facebook page. "Black bears use their keen sense of smell to find food sources and that’s what they are usually looking for in our area. We encourage everyone to never approach black bears. Although they are not known to have attacked people in our area, they are animals and should never be trusted."
While they may not have attacked people in the area, Sheriff Leonbruno said that if you see a black bear, you should call 1-800-wildlife and report it to the division of wildlife. If the bear is endangering people or attacking someone, you should call 911 immediately so that police can respond.