Black bear now near Ford Airport

LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) - A black bear was spotted Tuesday near the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Cascade Township.

The bear may be the same animal spotted Sunday in Greenville and north of Lowell on Monday.

Mike Krisel, who lives in the 2800 block of Snow Avenue in Lowell, saw the bear in his yard, which is just east of the airport.

Krisel told 24 Hour News 8 that at one point he was less than 10 feet from the animal.

There are between 15,000 and 19,000 black bears in Michigan but only 10% live in the Lower Peninsula. Most of that 10% live in the northern Lower Peninsula, according to the DNR.

However, authorities say, it is becoming increasingly common to see black bears in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula.

"The reality is that for the last five-plus years we have had established bear populations in the greater Grand Rapids area. So it is where they are supposed to be," the State of Michigan's bear expert Adam Bump told 24 Hour News 8 on Tuesday.

Bump said Michigan black bears are on the move southward in the state.

Bears enter populated areas in search of food, according to the DNR, which recommends residents keep an eye on their trash cans, dumpsters and bird feeders.