Young black bear seen wandering in this Lexington neighborhood. What to know
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife is urging Lexington residents to take precautions after a young black bear was found wandering around a local subdivision.
Sunday morning, reports surfaced on social media with pictures depicting a young black bear traipsing through the Masterson Station area throughout Saturday evening.
The bear was spotted throughout multiple areas and streets in Masterson Station.
Fish and Wildlife confirmed the sighting Monday, and said young male black bears are generally nonaggressive and fear human activity.
“We advise that people leave them alone and put up all food sources to keep them moving along,” said Lisa Jackson, a spokesperson with the department.
She said young male black bears are often pushed out of their homes in the eastern Kentucky counties in early and mid-summer by older territorial bears for mating season.
“They don’t know anything about the world and can wander quite far in search of food, territory and mates,” she said in an email to the Herald-Leader.
When bear sightings are reported to the department, she said the program manager is notified. Unless the bear is aggressive, the department does not usually intervene, she said.
“ This is just wildlife being wildlife,” she said.
This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 10:01 AM.
