Some residents in north suburban Lake County are on high alert after a black bear was spotted multiple times within the past week.
Matt Gorder, who lives in unincorporated Antioch, was outside doing yard work on Saturday with his two dogs when he noticed a change in their behavior.
"They started acting weird and wanted to come inside when they usually want to stay outside, so I let them in, not thinking anything of it," he said.
A time later, Gorder's sister-in-law called and said a black bear was spotted in his neighborhood.
Don Regan, who lives across the street, received word about the unwelcome visitor from a neighbor.
"...left a message that he had just chased a bear out of his yard who had knocked down his bird feeder," Regan said.
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The Lake County resident explained that he’s seen a fox and some deer in the past, but never a black bear.
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"He probably came down from the tracks," Regan said. "They’ve been saying for years that they’re going to start making their way down the Kettle Moraine [state forest in Wisconsin], eventually making their way around here."
The Lake County Sheriff's Office tweeted at 7:47 p.m. Saturday that deputies were on the scene of a loose black bear in the 24100 block of West Deer Ridge Lane in unincorporated Antioch. In the tweet, deputies advised people to "not approach the bear" and to call law enforcement if they happen to spot it.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources was contacted and was on its way to the location as of late Saturday, according to the sheriff's office. Law enforcement had yet to provide an update on Sunday afternoon.
A black bear was also seen in Gurnee earlier this week, but authorities can't say for certain if it's the same one that was spotted in Antoich.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office is warning people who come into contact with a bear to not approach it but instead call local law enforcement.
"Unfortunately our 4-year-old, we would let run around, but I guess we will have to pay attention more, and make sure he’s not out there by himself," Gorder said.
According to the Illinois DNR, if you see a black bear, do not run. Stand tall, put your hands in the air and slowly back away. Do not play dead, and if the bear does attack, fight back.
