Another black bear has been sighted inside the Meridian city limits, according to wildlife officials.
On June 16, Joyce Bond arrived home about midnight from her late shift work at Wal Mart. She lives on State Boulevard Extension about a mile from Okatibbee Creek.
As Joyce turned her car around to back into her carport, she spotted a movement between her and State Boulevard. Driving closer to investigate, she encountered an adult black bear at a distance of 50 feet. “It was not wearing a collar,” she reported, being aware of the black bear that was trapped earlier this year near Key Field airport and fitted with a radio transmitting collar.
Bond watched the bear cross her driveway and her neighbor’s yard in plain view and is 100 percent certain the animal was a black bear.
“He was grown because he appeared to be as long as the width of my driveway,” Joyce said.
Brad Young, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Black Bear Program Leader, recorded the sighting and found it interesting that Meridian seems to be a hot spot for bears. Young also reported that an aircraft flight over Lauderdale and Clarke counties seeking a radio signal from the collar on the bear that was trapped near Key Field yielded no signal. Male bears can travel long distances in brief periods of time.
Residents should never attempt to feed a bear or put out feed or garbage in an attempt to attract one, officials said. A bear that finds feed will come back for more and if the feed is withheld the bear can become destructive of property in searching for it and possibly could become aggressive. An aggressive bear often must be trapped and moved and they nearly always return, which can lead to their having to be destroyed.
Sightings of bears should always be reported to local wildlife authorities. News of a bear sighting obtained by the Meridian Star will be passed on to MDWFP officials. Such sightings are valuable to Mississippi’s bear program.
Local News
Another bear spotted in Meridian
- Local News
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Morning update for Wednesday, May 30, 2012
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In memory of those who died
A 21-gun salute is a common part of any Memorial Day program.
But the release of 21 snow white doves representing the peace we enjoy today because of those who have fallen in battle was a rare treat of the Second Annual Memorial Day Program held Monday afternoon at Magnolia Cemetery in Meridian. -
Choctaw Expressions to be showcased
The Mississippi Craft Center will present Choctaw Expressions as the featured cultural and historical exhibit for the month of June.
The presentation will showcase the rich and unique heritage of the Mississippi Choctaw Indians with traditional cultural arts and artifacts. The exhibition is set to open to the public on Friday, June 1 at 10 a.m. The Mississippi Craft Center, located in Ridgeland, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission and will highlight this unique event through June 30. -
Earth’s Bounty Festival Saturday
Residents in the Meridian area will have the opportunity to purchase locally grown or made products throughout the summer and fall through the Earth’s Bounty festival.
The expanded version of the current farmer's market will take place on the first Saturday of every month from June-November at Singing Brakeman Park in Meridian near Union Station. -
WWI soldier’s family receives Purple Heart
About three weeks before the end of WW I, two young officers with the 320 Machine Gun Battalion crept through the battered moonscape of France on a mission to find new positions for their weapons.
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Man dies of gunshot wound
Investigators with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department are investigating a shooting incident that occurred Saturday morning in which one person died.
- Marriages & Divorces: Sunday, May 27, 2012
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Leading Edges uses technology to enhance advertising
If local advertising agency Leading Edges has its way, pretty soon you will be using your iPhone or iPad to bring its clients' ads to life.
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Meridian soldier to receive posthumous Purple Heart
- Partnership in place for safety blitz
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