PHOTOS: Bear spotted near Aberdeen

A Brown County livestock farm had an unusual visitor Tuesday.

A bear was spotted at SEAL Livestock Tuesday morning, roughly six miles west of Aberdeen.

Allen Luce took video of the bear and posted it to Facebook. He tells Dakota News Now his fiance, Sheryl Erickson, first spotted the bear near their house.

Another person in the area who spotted the bear, Mike Scott, took several photos. You can see those in the slideshow below.

It's not the first spotting of the bear in the area recently. South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks conservation officer Nick Cochran said a bear was spotted near Houghton, about 30 miles northeast of Aberdeen, on Friday. When conservation officers went to investigate, they did not see the bear, but they did find tracks.

Cochran said the nearest bear population is in northern Minnesota, and that this one likely wandered down from there. He said on rare occasions, bears are spotted in the Lake Traverse area in the northeast corner of South Dakota. He said this is the farthest west spotting he can remember.

While bears are unusual in the area, Cochran said he does not believe it is a threat. He said bears occasionally go after bird feeders or rummage through people's garbage looking for food.

Game, Fish & Parks will leave the bear alone until it becomes a problem, Cochran said. He also said anyone who sees it and would like to report it can call (605) 881-7594.