Bear cub wandering neighborhood struck, killed by car on highway

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3/Gray News) – A bear cub that was found wandering in a Missouri neighborhood Thursday was struck and killed on the highway, police said.

According to the Springfield Police Department, the cub had been spotted around the city and was being monitored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

The police department shared a home surveillance video of the cub walking across a driveway.

“We’ve got a beary adorable cub wandering around in south Springfield. While it is a very cute bear cub, please do not approach it and definitely don’t give it any tasty treats,” police wrote in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon.

Sadly, in an update later that night, police said the bear was struck and killed by a car.

“We are very, very sad and it breaks my heart to report that this little guy was hit on James River Freeway overnight. We had hoped it would make it out of town and back to the woods without incident,” police wrote in an update.

Officers responded to a call around 11:30 p.m. regarding the collision. The eastbound off-ramp of the freeway was closed for half an hour as the Missouri Department of Conservation removed the cub.

The police department said bear sightings in the city of Springfield are rare.

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