(WBBM NEWSRADIO) --- The sighting of a small black bear in DeKalb last week may have been a false alarm, a published report says.
The purported appearance of a rare bear caused quite a bit of excitement.
Alas, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources now believes the small black bear was more likely a large dog, the DeKalb Daily Chronicle reported this week.
DeKalb police posted an alert that a small bear may have been seen by a resident about half a mile from Katz Park. The park happens to have a dog park and a 9-acre, off-leash natural area.
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A black bear was confirmed in DeKalb County in 2015, but Illinois currently does not have an active breeding bear population.
The state DNR said based on a photo and a visit by personnel, the “bear” probably was a dog.