GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX News) — A black bear paid an unexpected visit to Lockridge Park in Garrard County, one of several recent sightings across the region as breeding season drives young male bears out of their mountain habitats.
"This is very rare. I've lived in this area my whole life. Never seen a bear," Owner Heather Lockhart said.
Manager Mason Lockhart said the bear wandered through the campground along Herrington Lake before running off across the property and hopping a fence.
The encounter left an impression.
"When we walked down, all of a sudden I see this -- it seems so small from a distance -- but I know that thing was massive, it was at least up to my hip. And it ran way faster through that field than I could," Mason Lockhart said.
Video captured the bear sprinting across the property. When it reached the fence, it paused and looked back.
"I decided to start walking the other way," Mason Lockhart said.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Bear Program Coordinator John Hast said the sighting is not unusual for this time of year. During breeding season, older male bears push younger males out of their mountain habitats, sending them into unfamiliar territory.
"It's when we tend to have them up, closer up in the Bluegrass region," Hast said.
Lockridge Park is not the only location where bears have recently been spotted. Viewers in Estill and Bourbon counties submitted photos and videos to LEX News of black bear sightings.
Hast said bears are generally not harmful if people keep a healthy distance, but he urged residents to eliminate food sources that could attract them.
"If you think there's a bear in the area, just patrol the food sources, put your bird feeders up for a week or two, keep the trash in the garage or an outbuilding, and just let him move on through and we won't have any trouble with him at all," Hast said.
Hast added that the bears tend to move quickly and can cover significant ground, sometimes crossing entire counties in a single day.
"They can absolutely do some cruising," Hast said.
Residents in the Bluegrass region who spot a black bear are encouraged to report sightings to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife for research purposes.
If you'd like to learn more about living responsibly with black bears, click here.
