Sunday afternoon, a black bear was found dead in the Current River near Van Buren. It was estimated to weigh about 400 pounds, and the cause of death is unknown.
Candice Davis, media specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, says considering the busy campgrounds along the Current River and in the Ozarks, the bear discovery was not out-of-place for this time of year.
“Bears will naturally visit rivers for food and water, so it was in a natural bear habitat,” says Candice.
She says they estimate the black bear population in Missouri to fluctuate between 300 to 350, and the one found in the Current River was not one of the MDC’s collared bears.
No visible wounds were found on the bear, and it was transported to the MDC Resource Science Center in Columbia for a necropsy slated to take place on Thursday.