Was a Black Bear Sighted in Pembroke-Hopkins Park?
- CDC-PHP Media Communications
- Sep 18
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 10
UPDATED: 9.27.2025 (See Investigation Updates: Was a Black Bear Sighted?)
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article contains testimonies that have not been officially confirmed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources verifying that the animal the witnesses have identified as a black bear is indeed a black bear. Investigations are still underway. What can be confirmed by witness testimony is that a wild animal has been sighted that resembles a black bear. Stay watchful.
BEAR FACTS:
Bears are illegal to hunt.
Bears don't generally attack dogs.
Over 90% of sightings for bears after investigated has been confirmed to be raccoons, badgers, or big dogs according to our local wildlife biologists.
There is one wildlife refuge place that harbors wild animals in Kankakee County, but they have not reported any missing animals.
Bears are typically seen in Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Missouri area, and don't venture into Illinois because of the corn and soybean fields that they don't prefer to eat.
September 12, 2025 – A black bear was sighted in Pembroke-Hopkins and caught on a neighbor’s Ring Doorbell camera. Or was it?
When I showed my camera pictures to Animal Control, they told me it was a bear. I didn’t say it. They did.
That was my 3rd sighting of a bear. Two in my yard and the 3rd was on my way back from Animal Control, one ran across the street in front of the white truck that was in front of us.– Lillian Spencer
Location of this sighting: 4229 S. Main St., Pembroke Township, Illinois, home of Lillian Spencer.
Location of this sighting: near Gamble Road, Pembroke Township, Illinois.
September 15, 2025 – A neighbor’s dog was attacked by an “obese black bear.”
I ran outside to see what my dog was barking about because his bark sounded different than usual…this one sounded like a muffled deep bark. It was around 3:30 am. When I got outside in my front yard, about 20 feet in front of me, stood a black bear taller than me (5'3") pulling at my dog’s chain like in a tug-of-war trying to pull him into the woods behind him. I was shaking like a “wet paper bag” – scared. – Jamilia Campbell
September 13, 2025 - The neighbor's second dog went missing.
Location of this sighting: Behind the East Central Lounge (Blue building) - 13167 E. Central Ave., Pembroke Township, Illinois, home of Louise Anthony.
The family's second dog, Chickpea, went missing around two days prior to this black bear attack on Draka. If you have any knowledge of Chickpea's whereabouts, please contact Louise Anthony at (815) 953-4688, newsfeed@cdc-php.org.
DOG MISSING!!
Black Bear
Ursus americanus
What to Do If You See a Black Bear
If you see a black bear, do not run. Do not surprise the bear. Make noise to ensure that the bear is aware of your presence. A black bear is not likely to attack a person unless it feels trapped or provoked. Respect the bear’s space, and do not approach the animal. If the bear sees you, stand your ground; look as large as possible by standing up straight and putting your arms up in the air and slowly back away. If possible, go inside a building or get into a vehicle. Black bears display two types of behavior—defensive and offensive. A bear may swat at the ground or surrounding vegetation, lunge toward you, vocalize, blow air out of its mouth, or pop its jaws. These defensive behaviors are used to warn you to move away. Slowly back away from the bear. With offensive behavior, the bear will move towards you quickly. If you have food with you, drop the food, and keep moving away from the bear. If a black bear makes contact with you, always try to fight it off. Do not play dead.
Description & Identification
Black bears are very large omnivores (eat both plants and animals). They have a rounded appearance since they have short, thick legs, a compact body, and a short tail (approximately 4 inches long). The coat is often black or dark brown but may have a reddish or cinnamon color. The head is large and rounded with rounded ears. The muzzle is elongated and is often tan in color. There may or may not be a small patch of white or light colored fur on the chest.
Average Length: 4 to 6 feet
Average Height: 2 to 3 feet at the shoulder when standing on all four paws; 4 to 6 feet when standing on the hind legs.
Average Weight: 250 to 350 pounds (adult male); 120 to 180 pounds (adult female)
Tracks
Black bear tracks are easy to distinguish from those of other animals because the hind feet are larger than the front feet and the tracks are much larger than any other wildlife tracks found in Illinois. The tracks of the hind feet are approximately 3½ to 4 inches wide and 7 inches long, while tracks from the front feet measure approximately 3 to 4 inches across and 4 inches long. Black bears have five toes on each foot, each with a curved, 1¼ inch, nonretractable claw.
Animals Mistaken for Bears
From a distance or during low light conditions, it is easy to misidentify an animal. In Illinois, large dogs, such as black Labrador retrievers, are the animals most commonly misidentified as black bears. Full-grown bears are substantially larger than dogs and have a more rounded appearance. Black bears also have very short tails that are not usually visible since bears keep their tails tucked close to their body. In contrast, most dog breeds have long tails. Additionally, most large dogs have slender legs and much smaller paws compared to a bear.
Legal Status & Sightings
Black bears, once common in Illinois, were eliminated from the state by 1870. Black bears have been protected by the Illinois Wildlife Code since 2015. Black bears may not be hunted, killed, or harassed unless there is an imminent threat to person or property. If you feel you or your property is being threatened by a black bear, contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to learn about options available to address potential threats. The IDNR may issue a nuisance animal permit and assist you with control measures.
There are currently no resident populations of black bear in Illinois, but the potential exists for individuals from existing populations in Missouri and Wisconsin to travel into the state. To date there have been six bears confirmed in Illinois in the past few years.
In 2008, a black bear was sighted multiple times moving through Bureau County. On February 3, 2009, officers from the Illinois Conservation Police, along with the assistance of a wildlife expert from the Quad Cities, captured the black bear, which was then transported to a USDA licensed facility in southern Illinois. The male bear weighed approximately 200 pounds and was in good health at the time of capture. The origin of the bear is unknown, but based on its condition at capture, biologists suspect the bear had been in human care prior to its release or escape.
In June 2009, a black bear wandered down the Iowa side of the Mississippi River, crossed into Illinois near Savanna, wandered north through Carroll and Jo Daviess counties, and then crossed into Wisconsin.
On May 26, 2014, a black bear was photographed at a residence near Galena in Jo Daviess County. The bear made its way east past Stockton, Freeport, and Rockford. On June 10, 2014, it was located north of Belvidere in Boone County. It headed south and was seen near Genoa in DeKalb County. The bear then travelled past Rochelle, Chana, and Morris in Ogle County. It returned to Jo Daviess County by late June. Several unconfirmed reports of black bear have been received in northern Illinois since that time.
In June 2019, a black bear was confirmed in Johnson County via DNA. Damage had been done to a collection of beehives and a genetic evaluation of the hair collected from the site confirmed the presence of a black bear.
In June 2020, an IDNR biologist confirmed a black bear had travelled through JoDaviess County in northwest Illinois. The next day the bear was seen in Iowa. The bear returned to Illinois and then traveled through Rock Island and Henderson counties.
In July 2024, a black bear was sighted in southern Illinois. Read the press release at: https://dnr.illinois.gov/press-release.30235.html
Most recently, in August 2024, a black bear was sighted in southern Illinois and St. Clair County. It’s uncertain at this time if it is the same bear that passed through Illinois in July or if it is a different bear.
Help Keep Bears Wild
If a black bear is reported in your area: do not feed the bear. Feeding a bear will lessen its wariness of humans and may encourage it to approach people, which will only cause problems. Bird feeders and grills should be stored inside at night or when not in use, and food residue should be cleaned up. Garbage should also be secured and stored inside where possible. More information on being BearWise can be found here.
Report a Sighting
If you have recently seen a bear in Illinois, please report the sighting to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Reviewable evidence is very helpful during efforts to identify the animal and the location. Please provide any documentation, including original images of individual animals or tracks that you were able to obtain. When documenting tracks or other signs, be sure to photograph individual tracks as well as groups of tracks. Include in the image an object to aid in the determination of size including a ruler, tape measure, or common object of standard size (coin or paper money, business card, etc.). Also include images of the wider area where the tracks were found, including the tracks as well as local features that can be located if the tracks are destroyed.
An IDNR biologist will review the information provided and attempt to use it to confirm the species and location of the sighting.
If you see any sightings of Black Bears or other wildlife in Pembroke-Hopkins Park, contact Matt Hunsaker, Illinois Department of Natural Resources,
(779) 702-8518, matthew.hunsaker@illinois.gov.
September 19, 2025 - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources did arrive in Pembroke-Hopkins Park to investigate the witness testimonies of the reported sightings of a black bear. This investigation is ongoing.
Last Confirmed Black Bear sightings in Illinois:
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