Black bear sighted near church in Arden Hills, Minn.
A black bear at the North American Bear Center in Ely, Minnesota. (Photo credit: FOX 9)
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (FOX 9) - City officials are warning residents in Arden Hills, Minnesota about a black bear that was spotted near a church in the area this week.
The city has received several reports of a black bear near North Heights Lutheran Church at 1700 W. Highway 96, according to a post on the city’s website.
Officials are advising residents to leave the bear alone and let it pass through. Residents are asked to remove food sources from their yards, such as bird feeders, dog and cat food or unsecured garbage.
The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are aware of the bear.
Last month, a DNR conservation officer shot and killed a bear in a residential area of North St. Paul.
The bear attracted a crowd of spectators and it became cornered in a neighborhood tree, which officials feared would agitate it and pose a threat to humans. The DNR also said the density of the residences and roads in the neighborhood made it unlikely that the bear would have been able to escape to a more suitable habitat.
The DNR said law enforcement is authorized to kill bears in the Twin Cities metro if they pose a public threat. They do not tranquilize or relocate bears because the bears rarely remain where they are dropped off and often return to the neighborhoods.
FOX 9 BEAR WEEK: Black bear range expanding south in Minnesota