A black bear that has been roaming northern Indiana will likely have to be captured by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and returned to its home state of Michigan, the Associated Press reports.
The bear, which is the first of its species to have been spotted in the wild in the Hoosier State in nearly a century and a half, is reported to have destroyed several bird feeders and trash cans and to have knocked on the front doors of multiple Indiana homes.
At a recent sighting, "Officers yelled at the bear and chased it into a wooded area," according to a release from the DNR.
"Nobody wants to shoot the bear," said Cheryl Clapp of Michigan City, Ind.
The bear might have to be tranquilized in the event that multiple traps fail to catch it, according to the AP’s report.
Meanwhile, residents are being advised to keep their trash indoors.
Michigan, Indiana’s northern neighbor, is home to around 18,000 black bears, some 90 percent of which live in the state’s Upper Peninsula region.
Permit holders in the Wolverine State hunt the 500-pound beasts for sport using "bait, dogs or a combination of both."
