AN UNUSUAL DISCOVERY this last weekend for a homeowner on the beach on Lakewood Lane in Harvey.
A dead bear, a fully grown male. It weighed 156 pounds but it was waterlogged and bloated.
DNR Wildlife Research Technician Erin Largent says the bear showed no obvious signs of injury and likely drowned recently in rough seas and high winds. Tough to tell, though. The body will be sent down to a lab in Lansing for further examination.
Largent says black bear sightings aren’t unusual here.
And they’re known to sometimes range far and wide, particularly the males. One bear with a GPS collar was recently tracked traveling from Crystal Falls to Lakewood Lane, and then back again.
What are they looking for? Food, particularly now as they’re fattening up for their winter’s hibernation in their dens.
Best estimates are that about 15,000 bears call the UP their home–that’s one bear for every 20 humans.
Dangerous? They can be because they’re large and powerful but generally they shy away from human contact. They’ll generally attack only if they feel threatened.
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