Camera footage courtesy of Yellow Springs resident Melissa Heston.
Black bear spotted in Yellow Springs
- Published: June 29, 2025
After several reported sightings in the region and county, a young black bear made its way to Yellow Springs on Saturday, June 28.
Around 9:30 p.m. — not long after the annual YS Pride celebrations concluded — a Fairfield Pike resident’s security camera caught a bear roaming around the front yard of their home, just a few blocks from downtown.
A short video shared to social media by villager Melissa Heston showed a juvenile black bear sauntering up to her front door, sniff around, then mosey away. As of press time, no other bear sightings in Yellow Springs have been reported.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Ohio Black Bear Monitoring Report, last published in November 2023, the Division of Wildlife has received two to three more confirmed black bear sighting reports throughout the state per year than it did when sighting data were first collected in the 1990s.
The highest recorded sightings was in 2022, with 285 sightings in 52 of Ohio’s 88 counties; Greene County was not among those.
“If bears continue to increase in number in the state, this thing should be more common,” village resident and Wright State professor of biological sciences Don Cipollini said, referring to Saturday’s visitation.
Cipollini added that it’s unlikely Yellow Springs will see an influx of black bears anytime soon, noting that there “simply is not enough undisturbed wildland to harbor them here, despite how big the Glen and John Bryan may seem.”
Native to the state, black bears were extirpated from Ohio by the mid-19th century due to habitat loss and overharvest.
Glen Helen Executive Director Nick Boutis said he was “incredibly excited” by Heston’s video camera footage.
“Black bears are native wildlife, and native wildlife is welcomed in Glen Helen,” Boutis told the News. “If a bear population was established in our area, it would probably help provide a check on populations of deer and possibly raccoons.”
Like Cipollini, Boutis said the bear spotted on Saturday likely “won’t stay long” in Yellow Springs, noting that he’s likely a young male, “wandering in search of a mate,” and “isn’t going to find one here.”
Should the Glen host any new ursine residents long-term, Boutis recommended visitors abide by the National Park Service’s safety measures. Upon encountering a bear:
• Identify yourself by talking calmly so the bear knows you are a human and not a prey animal;
• Stay calm and remember that most bears do not want to attack you;
• Pick up small children immediately;
• Hike and travel in groups;
• Make yourselves look as large as possible;
• Do not allow the bear access to food;
• Do not drop your pack;
• Move away slowly and sideways if the bear is stationary;
• Do not run or climb a tree;
• Leave the area or take a detour; and
• Be especially cautious if you see a female with cubs.
For residents who, like Heston, may encounter a meandering bear roaming village neighborhoods, Yellow Springs Police Chief Paige Burge told folks to keep trash inside a garage or secure location, take down bird feeders, keep pet food inside, clean grease from outdoor grills and pick up fallen fruit from trees and gardens.
To report additional black bear sightings, go to http://www.ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/wildlife/Report+Wildlife+Sightings.
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