The sensational wanderlust Bruno the bear that has garnered followers online, was tranquilized in Missouri and relocated to a safer location for animals and the public's security reason.
On June 10, the bear left Wisconsin then got into Illinois. He spent some brief time in Iowa, then headed back to Illinois and spent the month there wandering.
The black bear has garnered fans online as he trekked through west-central Illinois in June, and swan across Mississippi River and passed through Missouri last week.
He gathered fans along the way, occasionally checking on Bruno. The bear was focused on his travel, however, in what appears to be a quest for his mate. Wildlife experts believe that Bruno is headed for Missouri, where a population of black bears is located.
When Bruno arrived in Illinois, traffic was blocked off on interstates to allow Bruno's safe passage. A Facebook page, Keeping Bruno Safe has been documenting the bear's journey.
In Illinois Henderson County last month, more than 300 people gathered to watch, follow, and in some instances, heckle, posing concerns from wildlife officials.
Capt. Laura Petreikis of the Illinois Conservation Police said that they wanted to ensure the safety of both the bear and the people. Still, if they continue to see harassment situations like what they saw over that weekend, they might issue tickets and make arrests to ensure the safety of everyone, including the bear.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been coordinating with various agencies to help Bruno cross busy roads, and at the same time, ensure the safety of the people.
Over the weekend, however, Bruno "cornered himself just north of I-70 and near I-40/61," the Missouri conservation agents said as they tracked the bear.
The bear was trekking near the roadway, and the roads were so busy that the bear had difficulty leaving the area by himself that he got stuck where he was.
"In the interest of public safety and the bear's safety, MDC staff decided to immobilize the bear and transport it to a nearby area of suitable bear habitat outside this urban corridor."
MDC staff had to sedate the bear but assured the public that Bruno was handled by those who are trained in wildlife handling, while State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Sherri Russel tracked the bear's condition.
The department assured the public that they only immobilize dispersing bears as a last resort. The staff on the scene decided that it was necessary to do so, given the bear's location and safety considerations.
Experts believe that black bears are headed to Missouri, where black bears are abundant. Missouri now houses 840 as of 2019 report, and most of them are in Ozarks south of Highway 60.
Hunting in 1800 has diminished Missouri's bear population tremendously, almost wiping the population out. The successful reintroduction efforts in neighboring states have contributed significantly to the dramatic increase of the bear population in Missouri. The black bears of Arkansas, which are estimated to be more than 3,000, moved to Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation is planning to open a limited bear-hunting season to control the black bear population but has not yet announced when this will start.
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