Black bear spotted in Antioch, Lake County Sheriff's Office says

ANTIOCH, Ill. (WLS) -- There is a black bear on the loose in north suburban Antioch, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said on Saturday.

The bear was spotted in the 24100 block of West Deer Ridge Lane, police said on Twitter. Deputies were on the scene.

Police said the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources responded, and does not want to drug or relocate the bear.

Police warned residents not to approach the bear. You can report bear sightings here.

What to do if you encounter a bear:

• Do not run.

• Do not surprise the bear. Make noise to ensure that the bear is aware of your presence. A black bear is not likely to attack a person unless it feels trapped or provoked.

• Respect the bear's space, and do not approach the animal.

• If the bear sees you, stand your ground; look as large as possible by standing up straight and putting your arms up in the air and slowly back away.

• If possible, go inside a building or get into a vehicle. Black bears display two types of behavior-defensive and offensive.

• A bear may swat at the ground or surrounding vegetation, lunge toward you, vocalize, blow air out of its mouth, or pop its jaws. These defensive behaviors are used to warn you to move away. Slowly back away from the bear.

• With offensive behavior, the bear will move towards you quickly. If you have food with you, drop the food, and keep moving away from the bear.

• If a black bear makes contact with you, always try to fight it off. Do not play dead.

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