Sartell Resident Spots Bear And Her Cub

SARTELL -- The Sartell Police Chief is advising residents to be careful if they spot a mother bear and her cub.

The police department received a call today (Tuesday) from someone who says a bear was spotted with her cub by the Watab River near the Bernicks Arena.

When police arrived they were not able to find the bear or her cub. Police say if you do come across a bear give it space and do not try to feed it.

Below is information from the USDA Forest Service in St. Paul:

Seeing a black bear can be one of the most memorable experiences of a wilderness vacation. Bears seem almost human at times, partly because of their high intelligence and partly because they can stand and sit like we do. Their diet is also somewhat like ours, so fruit and nut shortages are problems for them just as they were for primitive people. In years of crop failure, black bears are almost as quick as chipmunks to overcome their fear of people and seek out food. And they are extremely adept at getting it. They have color vision, acute hearing, and a keen sense of smell. They learn quickly and can remember feeding locations for years. They can climb trees, bend open car doors, and pry out windshields. They readily swim to island campsites. They adapt their lifestyles to the availability of food, often becoming nocturnal to avoid confrontations with us rather than sleeping at night like they usually do.