Black Bear Encounter in Rockford

Imagine drinking a cup of coffee in the morning and seeing black bear in your yard. That's exactly what happened to a Rockford area woman this Saturday morning. Here's how the bear sighting happened.
Sheryl Hutchinson spotted the bear eating berries from a bush around 10 a.m.
“I was sitting at the breakfast table and he was just three feet outside the window,” said Sheryl Hutchinson. She also states the bear then drained her hummingbird feeder and drank out of a water lily pot. It then ate some service berries and left. The bear was not threatening, just looking for food.

Winnebago County Sheriff's Department Deputies found a paw print on the garage door about six feet off the ground, and a bird feeder in the yard was knocked over.

A neighbor had spotted the bear in the neighborhood on Friday evening. State officials said they heard reports of a black bear in the region in recent days. The sheriff’s department is working with experts on a plan to tranquilize the bear if it is seen again.

Seeing a black bear in Illinois is a rare event. There are official reports that there was a black bear sighted last week in the Galena area. The thought right now is that the bear seen near Rockford this weekend may be the same one, according to officials.

The last time Illinois supported a population of black bears, mountain lions and grey wolves was about 1870.

Lions and Tigers and Bears oh my. Being a Chicago Bears fan, here's my theory. Maybe the black bear in Rockford is on his way to Chicago to audition for the role of mascot.  Stay safe out there campers.