DICKINSON — Officials are tracking a rare black bear sighting in western North Dakota, believed to be the same bear moving through various locations, with recent sightings near Marmarth, Amidon, and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The bear was last sighted in the northern area of Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Wednesday, according to multiple sources, including Stephanie Tucker, section leader and furbearer biologist for North Dakota Game and Fish.
According to Tucker the bear appears to be in a sub-adult age group typically, predicted to be actively in search of a new habitat or mating partners.
Tucker believes the bear’s final destination will not be in the southwest region.
“What it means to me as a biologist is that it is going to keep moving until it gets into some forest,” she said. “Then secondarily, it’s probably not going to stay in a forest where there are no other bears.”
Adult Black bears will continue looking for both suitable mates and woodland habitats, with bear sightings in North Dakota being relatively common according to ND Game and Fish experts. Most sightings however occur in the eastern part of the state, which is a more suitable habitat for the species.
“We have somewhere in the neighborhood of probably 10 to 25 Black bears in the state every year, but they’re typically in eastern North Dakota,” explained Tucker. “They require forest habitats, and our closest breeding population is in Minnesota.”
As of now, experts can only guess where the bear originally began its journey, but Tucker trusts the idea that it comes from the West, saying, “The closest breeding population of Black bears to western North Dakota is the Big Horns of Montana.”
TRNP staff noted they would not pursue any plans to track the bear’s movements or behaviors due to it being an isolated incident.
“If we continue to have more sightings and determine there is some presence of bears in the park, I think we would engage more with pursuing an understanding of the distribution of abundance and the need for management,” said Blake McCann, Resource Manager at TRNP. “But right now, we just have one sighting, and it looked like it was running towards the boundary of the park.”
ND Game and Fish reminds hunters that bears are protected by state law, meaning there is no hunting or trapping season for them. Game and Fish monitor bears as they move through the state and provide technical expertise or assistance if bears cause any conflicts with people.
Additionally, Game and Fish wants people hiking, camping, or exploring the park to be cautious if they encounter bears by staying alert and paying attention to their surroundings, moving in groups, keeping kids close, and making noise periodically to deter bears.
Double bag food and pack out all trash to prevent bears from associating campsites with food. Keep dogs leashed to avoid provoking bears. Camp safely by setting up away from dense cover, cooking far from your tent, and storing food and scented items in bear-resistant containers, locked vehicles, or suspended above ground. “Those are all considered potential food rewards from a bear and most human conflicts with bears are because they are following their noses around looking for an easy meal,” added Tucker.
Tucker encourages people to snap photos or videos of the bear from a safe distance and share them with Game and Fish. “Report sightings easily on our website or contact us directly. Discover more about bears and how to stay safe on our site, and check out
for expert tips and resources.”
