Photos courtesy of Arlene Oppold, as taken of a visiting black bear in north Alexander, Monday night, May 8th, 2017. Click any image to enlarge.
It’s one thing to be an animal lover like Arlene Oppold is, but quite another when she spots a black bear in her back yard, eating corn from the deer feeder. Sometime around sunset on Monday night, Oppold noticed this furry fella munching on supper just off her back deck. She said the bear was even on the deck at one point. She called for help and Saline County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Deputies showed up. They waited for folks from Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) to join them.
By the time everyone was there and ready to get to work, the bear – who Oppold had already named “Bubba” – had made his way down the hill. Oh wait, but AGFC now says Bubba is an adult female. The shoulders on this bear on all-fours are 2½ to 3 feet high.
Oppold lives on 5 acres and is no stranger to having wild animals in her yard. The feeder of course is for deer, but she says she has had to call for help before when a coyote got one of her Chihuahuas, and another time when she’s pretty sure there was a bobcat.
“We feed deer here all the time. It’s a safe zone for them, but I guess the bear found their corn,” stated Oppold. “Another neighbor had her feeder knocked over and bent last week so we think it was this one that did it.”
[See several more pics by Oppold at the end.]
The situation is in hand for the moment, but neighbors, remember that we live in “The Natural State,” so we’re bound to see wild animals. Respect them, be careful and give them their space. And when your safety is threatened, contact the authorities.
Oppold has seen many other species visiting her home to eat. “I love animals. That’s why we feed deer, rabbits, coons and whatever else wonders up. Several years ago I even had an emu come out of the woods and stayed for over a week.”
