While still rare, bear sightings becoming a more regular occurrence in parts of Iowa

There’s a pretty good chance that, in the next several weeks, northeast Iowa will be visited by a few wandering black bears coming down from Minnesota and Wisconsin ahead of the breeding season. According to the Iowa DNR, it’s been an annual occurrence in this region each spring since 2014. Much of Iowa does not have the habitat necessary to support a black bear population, but certain locations do, primarily northeast, eastern and southern parts of the state.