MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Finding love can be tough. It can be even tougher if you’re a black bear named Bruno.
Bruno was first spotted in Warrens, Wisconsin, in May. Wildlife biologists believe he’s likely a wild Wisconsin black bear, about four years old.
All of a sudden in June, people saw Bruno in Illinois and Iowa, roaming around rural areas. It was a very big deal there: Iowans and Illinoisans don’t get to see black bears too often.
“You don't ever see a bear there, you never expect to see a bear there,” said UW Extension Wildlife Specialist David Drake.
People started tracking his movement, because it seemed like he just kept going. And going. And going. And going.
Facebook groups popped up like Keep Bruno Safe, which tracks where Bruno is, but is also a place for people to connect over wildlife.
In Iowa, dozens of people stopped to watch Bruno as he walked through cornfields. Police stopped traffic to let him safely cross highways. He made it back to Illinois, traveling down the Mississippi River Valley. One person even got a video of him swimming in the Mississippi River.
There’s been one big question as Bruno continues his trek: why is he traveling so far from home? The fun answer is that he’s searching for a mate, walking hundreds of miles on a quest for love. Drake said that’s possible, but he thinks there may be a more accidental answer.
“There was a bear biologist, Dave Garshelis in Minnesota, and he thinks he just got lost,” Drake said. “Essentially, in that he was he was moving someplace where perhaps he can find a territory to establish and then he got disoriented. He just kept on going.”
Male bears usually have to find their own territory when they’re about two years old, because the mama bear has cubs every two years. When it’s time for more babies, the “young men” go on the move.
Once Bruno got to the St. Louis region, he was ready to cross highways again. The black bear spotting was even more rare for that area.
Officials decided to tranquilize Bruno and get him somewhere safe. They didn’t want Bruno trying to cross busy metropolitan highways, being hurt by humans, or not surviving in such an urban area. They put a tag in each ear so he’s easy to identify.
Bruno has become an unlikely celebrity as everyone stays at home. With outdoors the safest option for people to meet with friends or loved ones, or just do something that isn't within the walls of their home, many are reconnecting with nature.
"A lot of people are starting to notice more wildlife now that people are confined to a home or their local locality because and also life has settled down," Drake said. "We're not as fast paced as we were pre-COVID.”
Along his journey, there hasn’t been one report of Bruno having a negative encounter with a human.
Now, Bruno has been spotted in Arkansas.
“There's some places with suitable bear habitat [in the Ozarks] and there's not a as large of a bear population where they brought him,” Drake said. “I'm sure he's gonna be able to find some some territory down there that he can occupy.”
Drake added, “Maybe he can find a young female bear and live happily ever after.”