Delabear struck and killed by motorist on Route 1

The black bear that has captured the attention of Delawareans this week is no longer.

The bear, affectionately nicknamed Delabear, was struck by a car Tuesday night near New Castle, Delaware State Police reported.

"Delabear was hit by a car on Route 1 near School Bell Road," police said on their Facebook page. The crash occurred around 11 p.m.

The car driver was not injured, and the Delaware Department of Transportation removed the animal carcass from the roadway.

Earlier story: Where's the bear? Residents report new spotting in Bear Tuesday morning

Delabear moved around

Black bears travel farthest when food is harder to find, especially in spring, according to BearWise.org, which is managed by bear biologists and communications professionals. An individual bear may travel between 20 and 40 miles in a single day.

Male black bears have home ranges up to 300 square miles; female black bears only about 50 square miles, according to BearWise.

A bear was spotted on June 12 in Rising Sun, Maryland, near the Pennsylvania border, according to social media, which also claimed the animal was seen at Fair Hill near Maryland's Route 213 and Route 273.

In Delaware, a black bear was first spotted on Julie Lane in Newark on Saturday — about a 6-mile drive from the Fair Hill location. One of those people who saw the bear in Delaware was a 5-year-old girl sitting in the living room of her Barksdale Estates home.

The child thought she saw a man on the back deck, but it turned out to be Delabear.

More: Delabear sighting: Girl spots bear on family's deck in Newark

There were also social media reports of the bear being spotted in the Ogletown development of Scottfield on Oakfield Drive on Monday.

Early Tuesday, Raintree Village neighbors spent a couple of hours watching the bear eat Paula Hutchinson's birdseed and then roam Belal Bma's backyard before going back into Hutchinson's yard. Delabear then scaled a 7-foot fence and vanished from the Bear community.

There were reports the bear had been seen near Route 40 and Route 7 a little while after it left Raintree Village.

More: Where's the bear? Residents report new spotting in Bear

Examining the remains

Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control wildlife biologists will conduct an examination of the bear to try and determine where it originated, its age, sex and other information that might be helpful in tracking other transient black bears that venture into Delaware from surrounding states that have resident black bear populations.

"We understand the community's interest in the bear," Joe Rogerson, a DNREC wildlife biologist, said. "It's always unfortunate when wildlife is lost in such a manner. Our team will be examining the bear to gather information."

Bears in Delaware have garnered significant attention and concern from the community, DNREC said. The expansion of black bear populations in neighboring states such as Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania has led to occasional sightings in Delaware.

Wildlife officials typically don't intervene unless there's a threat to public safety or another reason (such as in 2019, when a black bear made its way through Wilmington's Trolley Square). Many locals ignored officials at the time who asked them to stay away. Eventually, DNREC stopped sharing the animal's location because bystanders would show up when the bear was spotted, which interfered with the capture.

DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife advises residents to follow these precautions if a bear is reported in the area:

• Do not approach, touch, feed or shoot at the bear. Back away slowly to give the bear space. Go inside and wait for the bear to leave. Once inside, contact the Delaware Natural Resources Police at (800) 523-3336 to report the sighting.

• Eliminate potential food sources by cleaning or removing anything outdoors that may smell like food.

• Keep pet food indoors, especially for dogs and cats.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delabear killed by motorist on Route 1 near New Castle, Delaware