A Bear is Making Cameos & Ringing Doorbells in Southern Illinois

It's been a lively season for bears in southern Illinois and that point was proven yet again over the weekend as one of these apex predators was spotted making cameos on security camera photos and even ringing doorbells in Monroe County.

Monroe County in Illinois has had quite a busy bear season this year as their sheriff's department just shared this sighting from the morning of Sunday, August 4 at 9:28am. KSDK News in St. Louis also had video shared by viewers there.

But wait, there's more. Logan Zirkelbach in the comments shared video of the bear ringing his doorbell on the Monroe County Sheriff's Department bear warning on Facebook.

It's obvious that the residents of Columbia, Illinois need to be bear aware. As the sheriff's department mentions, it's a good idea to bear-proof garbage and bring any bird feeders you have inside until it's clear this big animal has gone back to the woods to do bear things.

They also mention some great bear safety tips if you find yourself face-to-snout with a bear which includes backing away slowly and making yourself look large. The best practice is to do everything you can to avoid contact with a bear in the first place if possible. Moral of the story is if you see the bear, leave it alone and contact authorities.

Once a bear becomes comfortable in an area where he/she finds reliable food sources and humans, it rarely ends well for the bear.