MANSFIELD (KFSM) -- Mansfield Police said a bear was inside the city limits near Division Street.
The black bear was first spotted near Johnny Cake Park in Mansfield by residents who were watching a little league game, but the bear eventually ended up in Kathy Aguirre's backyard.
“They said there's a bear in your backyard, ma'am, go in the house, and don't come outside, so I ran to the back window and looked, and sure enough, there it was,” Aguirre said.
Police said they don't believe the bear was aggressive, and Aguirre said she thought the bear was more afraid of them than they were of it.
Sgt. Stephen Westbrook said there were no injuries, and the bear ran off into a small, wooded area off of Aguirre's backyard.
"He was kind of acting scared, like he didn't want to be there, and he kind of felt like he was trapped, so he went back into the woods, I believe, to just get away from us," Westbrook said.
Westbrook said he thinks the bear will be too afraid to come back into town, but if it does, they have a plan.
"We're going to notify the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission," Westbrook said. "They're going to bring out a bear trap. We're going to try to trap the bear. They're going to, I believe, tag it and relocate it up into the mountains."
Police said the bear has been spotted in the ares before, but this is closest it has ever come into town.
"I couldn't believe it because it was the first wild bear I've ever seen," Aguirre said.
Police advise anyone who sees a bear to stay inside, not approach it and contact local authorities.
