ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — We have received several reports of bear sightings in the Twin Cities metro, and while they aren't as rare as they used to be a few decades ago, experts say sightings aren't unusual.
When the city of St. Louis Park touts nature, diversity, business, fine arts and nightlife, they probably didn't mean a bear-kind of nature.
"I think probably this is a single bear that was spotted out in the Purgatory creek area in Minnetonka about some time last week," Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' bear project leader, Andrew Tri, said. "Minnesota is bear country — it's just you're more commonly going to find them up north, but bears are doing okay down on the north end of the metro."
Seems like it, because viewers sent us surveillance footage of bears from all over the place. There was a sighting in East Bethel, and another near Glen Lake in Minnetonka. Just Tuesday morning, a bear got up close and personal to cars in Maple Grove.
"St. Louis Park is not a place where I would expect to find bears, but it's probably just a solo male exploring," Tri explained. "And as long as people leave it alone, pull their bird feeders down, keep their trash secured in a garage or a shed until trash day, there's a good chance this bear can move back out to the farther end of the western suburbs and live its life."
Tri said bears have developed an incredible sense of smell and have great memory, hence having to hide garbage cans and bird feeders.
"Once they get that food reward eventually they'll come back and try to get another," he said. "So if you can prevent it in the first place, you can get along with bears really easy."
Tri said it' isn't necessary to call the DNR every time there's a bear sighting, however, you can help them keep track of bears throughout the state by registering your sighting here.
You can also find tips on how to co-exist with bears and prevent your yard from being attractive to bears here.
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