TWIN LAKE, Michigan — A bear was spotted in Twin Lake Saturday night.
Mollee McWilliams sent 13 ON YOUR SIDE photos of the bear on the porch of her house. The photos and videos show the bear climbing through a fence and walking right up to the glass door on the porch.
After a short time, it went back into the woods.
In summer 2018, a bear was seen in Coopersville, Muskegon County and one got stuck in a tree on the west side of Grand Rapids.
It is not unusual for bears to be in Michigan, and it is becoming more common for them to be spotted in the Lower Peninsula.
According to the DNR, black bears are the only species of bear found in Michigan. The black bear population in the Lower Peninsula has increased 47% since 2000 to 2,112 bears.
Typically, bears will run or walk away from humans if they notice them. The DNR says that fatal black bear attacks are very rare, and they offer these tips for avoiding conflicts with bears:
- Never intentionally feed bears
- Remove potential food sources, like bird feeders, from your yard
- Keep pet food inside or in a secured area
- Keep garbage and odor at a minimum by removing trash often
- Keep garbage in a secured area or in a secured container with a metal, lockable lid until it is picked up or taken away
- Keep grills and picnic tables clean
- Bee hives, fruit trees and gardens can be protected from bears by electric fencing
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to the DNR to see if they had anymore information about the bear sighting.
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