Indiana State DNR says they are not sure what would happen if they caught a bear.
Wildlife officials in Indiana say they’re not sure what they would do if they caught a black bear wandering the state’s border with Michigan.
The Indianapolis Star reports that Michigan wildlife officials last week chose to euthanize a black bear spotted on the border. Michigan updated its response plan in 2011 to account for an increase in its bear population. But Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources says it doesn’t have a similar plan in place because the black bear was the first sighting in the state since 1871.
A department spokesman says Indiana plans to develop its own bear management strategy. But nothing is imminent.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, the black bear population is rising in states where the animals have not been seen in years.
