The Missouri Department of Conservation said a black bear -- not this specific bear -- was found to have walked 400 miles from where it was tagged by officials. Photo by Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., July 26 (UPI) -- The Missouri Department of Conservation said a black bear discovered in a resident's back yard was found to have traveled nearly 400 miles.

The department said a resident in Bollinger County snapped a photo of the bear's ear tag in the spring and sent it to officials, who determined the 3-year-old black bear had last been seen wintering in Warren County and was originally tagged in Christian County -- a total distance of nearly 400 miles.


"This bear probably left Christian County because his mother ran him off and because young males have an instinct to move and find unrelated females," Jeff Beringer, who heads the Black Bear Project for the Department of Conservation, told the Kansas City Star. "No tall bears move this far, but long dispersals are common for male bears."

"Black bears are on the move this time of year looking for new territory, food, and mates," the Department of Conservation said on Facebook. "Some bears travel further than others."