Black bear in Tuscarawas County adds to increasing number of bear sightings in Ohio
NEW PHILADELPHIA – A black bear returned peacefully to the woods after visiting a south side neighborhood on Thursday morning.
New Philadelphia Police said they received several calls about the black bear, which looked to be on the smallish side. They say he didn’t cause any harm or damage before disappearing.
Amy Vance saw the bear between 6:30 and 7 a.m. in her backyard on the corner of Springbrook and Broadway. Her husband spotted it first.
“He said, ‘Dang, that is the biggest dog…’ and then he went, ‘that is a black bear,'” she said. “So I went over to the window and I said, ‘Oh my God! It is a black bear.
“It just kind of lumbered through the yard and was stiffing around on the grass and stuff.”
There were also reports of a black bear in Dover earlier in the week.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says Ohio’s black bear population has grown to 50 to 100 individual bears after disappearing from Ohio around 1850.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife says black bear sightings in Ohio have doubled since 2023 to 537 in 2025.
ODNR says black bears are not usually aggressive. If you encounter a black bear, wildlife officials say remember the acronym AWARE. A – Act calm; W – Warn the bear in a firm, calm voice; A – allow space between you and the bear; R – Raise your hands to appear bigger; E – Exit the area.