In recent weeks, black bears have been spotted in the Missouri towns of Festus, Ballwin, Pevely and Van Buren. Now Wright City can be added to the list.A resident in the Harvest Acres subdivision in Wright City posted video on Facebook of a black bear exploring a neighbor’s backyard June 25. The yard abuts a wooded area.The bear seems to be looking for something to eat and takes a particular interest in a bird feeder.In the video, the humans are remarkably calm. No one is running away, and that was smart.“Don’t (turn your back) and run from them. That turns you into prey,” said Bob Lyons with the Missouri Department of Conservation.If someone comes across a bear, “The best thing you can do is leave the bear alone,” said Lyons, the conservation agent for Warren County.Lyons is familiar with the Facebook post.“That bear is most likely a juvenile bear, around 2 years old,” he said.At that age, he said, bears begin living independent lives and start by looking for their own territory.“They are looking for a suitable habitat,” Lyons said. “They don’t want to be around humans. Human activity makes them leave.”However, if they have an easy food source, they might consider sticking around. That’s why the Missouri Department of Conservation warns people not to feed bears or provide feeding opportunities, like access to trash cans.“We don’t want bears to associate humans with food,” Lyons said. “They have plenty of food to eat out in the woods.”When people feed them, or any wild animal, they settle close to homes and learn to depend on humans for their survival.Lyons said black bears are the only type of bears in Missouri.If anyone spots a bear, call the regional office for the Missouri Department of Conservation at 636-441-4554.“We want to know about them. It helps us track their movements,” Lyons said.If the bear becomes a nuisance, make another call to the same number, he said. The department can trap and transfer the bear safely. People should not risk injury to themselves or the animal.“Don’t do any harm to the bear. Bears are protected in Missouri,” Lyons said.That is, unless it is a clear matter of self-defense, he said.Lyons said the bear population in Missouri is growing.“We have a good population in southern Missouri,” Lyons said. “This one probably came from southern Missouri somewhere. He’ll stay for a while, figure out there’s no one here like him and head back south.”Lyons said bears are not likely to hunt cats or dogs. They might eat small rodents like rabbits or squirrels, if they can catch them. Their primary diet consists of roots, berries, insects, frogs and fish. Birdseed is a backyard favorite for them.“If they get into your bird feeder, it’ll be destroyed. You’ll have to get a new one,” Lyons said.More information about the American black bear is available on the Missouri Department of Conservation website.American black bearMissouri Department of Conservation photo