The Wandering Bear of Northeast Iowa: Will it Come to Black Hawk County?

You may have heard of the Black Bear of Northeast Iowa. He (she?) seems to be on the move - and moving closer to Cedar Falls.

Will he come to Black Hawk County? His path does seem to be moving south and west.

The bear (or bears?) was first spotted in May, near the town of Ridgeway, just west of Decorah, and then in West Union, where the high school was put on lock down while the bear wandered nearby.

On Monday, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported the Bremer County Sheriff's Department had received multiple calls about bear sightings:

Motorist Jade Bergmann spotted the bear... along Highway 188, a few miles from U.S. Highway 63 near Frederika.

“I spotted the black bear coming out of the ditch,” Bergmann said in an email note. “Thinking first it was a dog I slowed down and decided to take the opportunity to snap some pictures.

What would you do if you saw the bear? Tell us in the comments.

Vince Evelsizer, fur-bearer and wetland biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ Clear Lake office, told the Courier the bear is not likely to be a threat to human safety, but people should stay at a safe distance and not harass the animal.

Bremer County is just north of Black Hawk County. Perhaps the wandering bear will wander here next. If it does, and you spot the bear, we'd love to see your photos. Upload them on this story or send them in an email.