Bear wanders into town Thursday

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A black bear, with  “cinnamon” coloring, made an extended appearance Thursday in Owensville.

Owensville police reported youths riding bicycles first spotted the juvenile bear shortly after 2 p.m. walking north on South Cuba near West Franklin. They followed the bear, according to police, toward Buschmann Park.

The bear, about a year-and-a-half to 2-years-old and apparently on his own, was seen in the park, then spent a rest period on the mayor’s back porch at Fifth and West Madison before hopping a neighbor’s fence, exiting into the alley in 500 block of West Madison, and climbing into and out of to a tree near Sixth Street. He then ended up in a tree in the 300 block of South Seventh after entering the yard beneath a fence gap in a drainage area. Patrolman Josh Smith photographs the bear on South Seventh.

Attempts to send him south failed and he went back north to a tree at Fifth near Highway 28 before descending after 5:30 p.m. and crossing 28, going north into a wooded area.

Melvin Schulte visited with area residents stopped along South Seventh to catch a glimpse of the bear.

Conservation Agent Jason Eikermann was on the scene and said the bear was likely recently put out on his own by his mother. He was not harming anyone and was simply sent on his way.

The Cuba Free Press reports a similar young bear crossed from north to south through town on Saturday. A Cabool area resident and bear hunter who viewed photographs said the bear in Owensville resembled one seen down there in recent months.