Bear caught on camera exploring front yard, driveway in Burnsville

Bear spotted in Burnsville home's front yard

Video shared by Brandon Buckvold shows a bear exploring the front yard and driveway of a Burnsville home. The bear was caught on surveillance camera footage around 9 p.m. Thursday night. 

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A black bear was caught on camera strolling through the front yard and driveway of a home in Burnsville. 

Bear spotted at Burnsville home 

Local perspective:

The home surveillance camera footage, shared by Brandon Buckvold, shows the bear walking calmly past two parked vehicles in the driveway.

The bear continues following the path before strolling up the stairs to the home's front porch.

The footage was captured on Thursday, May 28, around 9 p.m. on Woodhill Road. 

Bears spotted in Elk River and Shoreview

Black bears wander into Elk River neighorhood

Elk River resident Jason Olson got quite the surprise during a recent check of his Blink camera at his home. A couple of bears wandered into the driveway, and one was looking for food in a birdfeeder.

Dig deeper:

Two other bears were seen wandering up the driveway of a home in Elk River earlier this month.

That footage showed one of the bears standing on its hind legs to reach a bird feeder. The owner said it was the first time he had seen any bears on his property. 

FOX 9 viewers also shared footage of a bear wandering around the Wells Fargo Shoreview campus on Wednesday afternoon. 

A bear spotted in Shoreview near the Wells Fargo campus.  (Andre Jones / Supplied)

What to do if you encounter a bear 

Avoiding bears in the wild: DNR expert shares safety tips

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Extension Specialist Franklin Whittaker shared tips on how to avoid encounters with bears in the wild. 

What you can do:

The Minnesota DNR says black bears are rarely aggressive and attacks are uncommon, but residents should still take precautions.

READ MORE: Black bear spotted in Cottage Grove neighborhood

Officials say to never approach or feed bears, and secure your garbage, bird feeders and grills. If you do come upon a bear in the woods, never run away, just slowly back up and wait for the bear to leave. Residents should also keep children close and pets leashed. 

You can also report the sighting to the Minnesota DNR.