A black bear was struck and killed by a pickup truck on State Route 546 near Black Road in Richland County, Ohio, over the weekend. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) reported that the incident occurred when a pickup truck pulling a livestock trailer was traveling on the road and the bear entered the roadway. Wildlife experts from ODNR responded to the scene along with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and determined that the bear had to be euthanized due to the severity of its injuries. Fortunately, the driver of the pickup truck was not injured in the incident. According to ODNR, black bears are rare and considered endangered in Ohio, making this the fifth recorded sighting in Richland County since the early 1990s. There have been additional bear sightings in other Ohio counties this month, including Licking and Morrow counties. The Ohio Division of Wildlife advises residents not to approach bears if encountered but instead to report sightings to wildohio.gov or local authorities to help monitor the growing black bear population in the state.
