LORDSTOWN Officials euthanize wandering wild bear

The animal was captured twice in a residential area and exhibited no fear of humans, a state wildlife official said.
LORDSTOWN -- A black bear captured near here Monday was euthanized, state wildlife officials said.
The bear, estimated to be 21/2 years old and weigh about 225 pounds, had yellow ear tags identifying it as the same bear that was relocated from Geauga County to a wildlife area last month, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, said in a news release.
"Since this was the second time we had to capture this bear in a residential area, and he exhibited no fear of humans, we felt it would be irresponsible of us not to have the animal put to sleep by a veterinarian," said Jeff Herrick, Northeast Ohio district manager for the division.
Wandering: The bear sauntered into a mobile home park near the General Motors complex Monday and walked into an area where children were playing in a wading pool, witnesses said.
A group of adults made enough noise to cause the bear to retreat until state wildlife officials arrived on the scene.
"He may have been looking for a drink of water, but, given the unpredictable nature of a wild animal, it's just not a good situation when they are this bold around people," Herrick said. "This is why we strongly discourage people from feeding wild animals. We don't want them to become domesticated to the point where they pose a threat to public safety."
Monday's bear encountered here followed the capture of a 110-pound male black bear, which had been wandering in the 8000 block of Market Street in Boardman.
State wildlife officials tranquilized that animal and moved it to an undisclosed Northeast Ohio location.
Black bear sightings are becoming increasingly common in Ohio, and the division estimates there may be 50 or more of them residing year-round in the state. The division urges those seeing a black bear to photograph it, keep their distance and notify the division.