Kansas Bear Sighting Sparks Buzz, However Consultants Say It’s Not What You Suppose
A viral photograph snapped close to Lake Shawnee in Topeka, Kansas, had locals buzzing this week after it appeared to point out a small black bear cub wandering by means of a residential driveway. The picture, broadly shared throughout social media in northeastern Kansas, rapidly captured the creativeness of the general public—many swore they have been seeing a younger bear.
However because the hypothesis grew, wildlife specialists stepped in with a extra grounded clarification.
At first look, the animal’s darkish coat and posture led some to check it to on-line images of black bear cubs. Even Valor, the black bear on the Topeka Zoo, was pulled into the dialog. Individuals puzzled if maybe a bear had escaped—or if her offspring might in some way be unfastened within the wild. Nevertheless, zoo officers swiftly put these rumors to relaxation, confirming Valor was secure and explaining that bear cubs are considerably bigger than the creature proven within the photograph.
Matt Peek, a wildlife biologist with the Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks, reviewed the picture and provided his skilled opinion: the animal was most definitely a raccoon. Whereas the picture high quality made it arduous to be 100% sure, Peek famous that even when the animal was sick, its measurement and options didn’t align with that of a black bear cub.
Additional backing up his evaluation, specialists emphasised that the prospect of encountering a black bear in Shawnee County is “virtually zero.” The final confirmed black bear sighting in Kansas was in 2021, and that was within the far southern a part of the state. At the moment, the closest inhabitants of untamed black bears resides alongside the Missouri-Arkansas border, removed from Topeka.
Whereas the photograph gave locals a short thrill, it additionally provided a beneficial reminder to double-check wildlife sightings and search skilled enter when attainable. The Kansas Division of Wildlife and Parks encourages residents to report uncommon animal encounters through their official web site, the place sightings could be documented and verified.
As for the creature within the photograph, it’s secure to say it gained’t be becoming a member of any bear dens—but it surely did achieve sparking a vigorous dialog and reminding everybody simply how wild our personal backyards can appear.
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This content material was created with AI help and edited by the iHeartDogs group.
