Bear's body mysteriously disappears after being hit off Beltline Highway in Eugene

An American black bear found dead off the Beltline Highway near River Road is now missing. Oregon State Police are asking for the body to be returned.

A photo of the dead bear was posted to the Facebook page Lane County Caught on Camera before 7 a.m., Tuesday. Shortly after, the bear's body disappeared.

OSP and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife received calls about the deceased bear around 7:30 a.m. OSP stated that troopers patrolled a 12-mile section of Beltline Highway and were unable to locate the bear. However, they did find blood stains that indicate the location where the bear was likely struck by a car.

This could have been the same bear that was seen near the River Road area's West Bank Bike Path Monday at around 11 a.m.

OSP determined the deceased bear was likely taken illegally by a member of the public. It is illegal to take many deceased wildlife, including cougar, bear, pronghorn, bighorn sheep or Rocky Mountain goats, according to ODFW.

OSP and ODFW are asking for any information regarding who removed this bear. Call the OSP Springfield Area Command Center for any information regarding the deceased bear at 541-726-2536.

Only deer, elk and unprotected animals, including coyotes, skunks, nutria, opossum, badgers, porcupines and weasels, may be salvaged from roadways. If a commuter hits and kills a large wild animal or sees a dead animal on the roadway, remove it to the side of the road if it is safe to do so, or call 911.

Why do bears wander into urban areas?

Christopher Yee, ODFW's district wildlife biologist at the Springfield Field Office, said it's not uncommon for bears to wander into residential areas in spring when coming out of torpor, which is a lighter version of hibernation, looking for food.

"They're pretty hungry," Yee said. "They can smell garbage and bird food and berries and different kinds of scents that may be coming from a town in residential areas, and it attracts them. They're hungry enough where they come in trying to secure those food sources."

Yee said American black bears, which is the only type of bear found in Oregon, have an incredible sense of smell − second only to turkey vultures in North America.

Yee said ODFW urges residents every spring to manage their garbage, avoid feeding pets outside, take down bird feeders and properly clean barbecues to avoid attracting bears. He said if bears do wander into town, they will leave on their own if they don't find anything to eat.

Yee said people should never feed bears, as they could develop habits by staying in residential areas, putting themselves in danger.

"That's what everyone wants, let them go back out in the wild," Yee said. "It'll be hungry, but they'll be fine."

If you see a bear in a residential area, first evaluate what it's doing. Yee said if it seems aggressive, call 911, but if it doesn't appear to be an immediate threat, call ODFW to report the bear. The Springfield ODFW field office can be reached at 541-726-3515.

Yee urged people to stay vigilant and distant in the case of wildlife encounters.

"If you want to take a couple pictures, that's great, but don't try to get close to wildlife," Yee said. "Remember, they are wild animals, and we need to leave them alone and let them go about their business. The times where you have dangerous encounters with wildlife are when people generally try to get too close."

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.