Beware - Black Bear Spotted in Flushing This Week

Earlier this week a black bear was spotted in Genesee County.

Yes, you read that correctly, there is a bear roaming around Genesee County.

According to a post on social media, Flushing resident Laura McGilvery witnessed a black bear roaming around her backyard this week. She said the bear was walking along the Flint River and was looking for food. At the time of her post, she said the bear had last been seen off Flushing Road, just west of Warner Road.

I talked with Laura today and she told me that she thought she saw the rear end of what looked like a black bear in the woods behind her home in Flushing last weekend. She thought that maybe she was seeing things until her neighbor called her a few days later to inform her that there was a black bear in their backyard.

A third witness driving down the road also stopped and said that he saw the bear as well.

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The DNR made a visit to Laura's home a property today to investigate.

Canva

Laura McGilvery:

The DNR said that they are not going to trap the bear. They are going to let nature take its course. It is not uncommon for a young male bear
to wander looking for new territory. They did say to keep your dogs on a leash when going outside. Typically bears will not attack domestic animals unless they feel threatened.

Laura wasn't able to snap a photo of the bear but she and her neighbor are hoping to if they see the bear again.

Are Black Bears Dangerous?

While black bears are generally shy and tend to avoid humans, they are wild animals and can potentially pose a risk if they feel threatened or cornered.

This isn't the first time a black has been spotted in the area as it's happened a few times over the years. If you remember, back in 2021, a black bear was hit and killed along I-75 in Flint Township.