PERRY TOWNSHIP, Ohio — An adult male black bear was euthanized by authorities on Saturday morning after being struck by a pickup truck just south of Lexington in Richland County. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife confirmed the incident on Monday afternoon, following local rumors that circulated on social media platforms including Facebook over the weekend. A photo claiming to show the bear after the incident was shared on the Facebook page ‘Lexington Ohio Community 2.0’. The incident occurred on Ohio 546 near Black Road. According to Wildlife Biologist Katie Dennison, the adult male bear weighed 246 pounds. “That’s a pretty big bear for Ohio,” Dennison noted. “It’s mating season for them, so you see adult males moving around pretty quickly looking for females.” Authorities arrived at the scene on Saturday and euthanized the bear due to the severity of its injuries. Dennison explained that Ohio has a black bear population of between 50 and 100, with growing numbers in northeast Ohio, particularly around the Ashtabula area. This incident marked the first confirmed black bear sighting in Richland County since 1999, although there have been five confirmed sightings in the county since then. Dennison described the varied diet of black bears throughout the year, stating, “In the spring, their diet can consist of skunk cabbage and ant colonies. Later in the summer, their attention turns to berries, and in the fall, nuts. Naturally, these omnivores are constantly foraging for food, which could include roadside carrion.” There were reports of a black bear moving through Licking, Delaware, and Morrow counties the previous week. While the Division of Wildlife cannot confirm if this was the same bear, Dennison encouraged anyone spotting a bear to report it to the Division of Wildlife using their online reporting link. Additional information about black bears in Ohio is available at Wildohio.gov or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE. Residents can also download the Ohio bear tracking app for more information.
