Bear in the Bluegrass: Black bear spotted multiple times in Smiths Grove

SMITHS GROVE, Ky. (WBKO) - A black bear has been spotted multiple times in Smiths Grove in the past 24 hours.

Local resident Kash Moore says he found the bear just off his property on Pondsville Road which is south of Smiths Grove.

“I thought it was a calf, the calves get out over there all the time. Then I thought, well, maybe it’s a dog and when it turned and looked at me, I’ve seen the snout. I instantly knew as a bear,” Moore recounted. “I grabbed my phone, trying to get the camera out and I think I hit every button but the camera button. I knew if I didn’t get on video nobody would believe me.”

Moore posted the video to social media where it’s now been shared over 2,000 times.

“I’ve lived here in my grandparents house now for two years. And I don’t think I’ve seen a deer yet here. So, it’s pretty cool that a bear -- I see a bear before I do a deer here this close to home,” said Moore. “As long as they’re not messing with the humans or the animals then we’re all good.”

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has advised that the bear should be docile and not hurt anything as long as it’s given the proper space. Officials said not to panic and that seeing them around here is actually a part of nature.

“What young male bears do in the month of June is just take off, and more or less, go on a walk. They get kicked out of the breeding range, which is typically our mountain counties and east and southeast Kentucky,” said John Hast, Bear and Elk Coordinator at KY Fish and Wildlife. “At that time, they basically get kicked out of their the area that they grew up in, and they go and look for new territory.”

Hast also assured that the bear, more than likely, means no harm.

“We’ve had absolutely zero problems with our bears that kind of pop-up outside of our typical bear range. Most of the time, they’re moving around at night, most of the time, they think they’ve realized they’re in a place they’re not necessarily comfortable in,” Hast said. “This bear could easily be a county away tomorrow.”

Hast advised those who do see the bear give it space.

More information on bears and bear resources can be found online.

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