No one has seen the furry creature yet, but there is apparently plenty of evidence that at least one black bear has been hanging out at Kent Lake and elsewhere around Mount Tamalpais in recent weeks.

“There have been a number of independent observations of bear scat on both sides of Kent Lake,” said Libby Pischel, a Marin Municipal Water District spokeswoman.

The scat was seen at the end of August near Kent Lake and then San Geronimo Ridge by mountain bikers and a water district employee. Then two weeks ago more was seen in Big Carson Canyon by another water district employee.

“We haven’t had any sightings of a bear, but it does look like bear scat,” said Mike Swezy, the water district’s natural resource specialist, adding that there were no plans to test the material. “It is likely from a bear. It would make sense.”

Black bears were historically present in the Point Reyes area, but by 1901 they were thought to have disappeared from the region after unregulated killing eliminated them from the landscape.

There have been sporadic bear reports over the past decade, however.

In 2003, a male black bear was sighted in several parts of Marin County and its presence was confirmed with the help of scientists who analyzed hair samples.

That 300-pound-plus black bear made appearances in the Mount Tamalpais watershed, where it was spotted 15 to 20 feet up a dead tree at Bon Tempe Lake. Garbage cans near Lake Lagunitas were Energy Upgrade California

also found tossed about with trash strewn everywhere.

It was also seen in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Last fall Point Reyes National Seashore staff received a half-dozen reports from visitors and local residents about a roaming black bear.

“We have not seen one since last year,” said John Dell’Osso, chief of interpretation at the seashore.

Bears tend to be solitary mammals except during mating season, in June and July, according to biologists. In recent years, the black bear population has increased and its range along the coast has expanded slightly southward, biologists said.

The place nearest Marin where there are known to be black bears is near Occidental, in Sonoma County, more than 35 miles north, according to the state Department of Fish and Game. Bears can travel up to 10 miles a day.

Black bears historically were an important part of the native ecosystem. Foraging activities by bears assist decomposition in forested environs where they tear apart logs and snags to gain access to insects. Their consumption of berries, acorns and fruits aids in the distribution of seeds of various plants.

Male black bears can weigh around 350 pounds and be between 5 to 6 feet tall. Females weigh around 200 to 250 pounds. Some black bears have shaggy black hair, but many are not black but brown or even reddish brown.

While they can be menacing, they generally are not a threat to humans.

“Mostly bears are afraid of you and will go the other way,” Swezy said.

Contact Mark Prado via email at mprado@marinij.com