Several Bear Sightings Reported In Woodbury: 'They Need A Place To Be'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A bear has been spotted in a number of neighborhoods in Woodbury over the last week, creating quite the buzz among neighbors.
The bear has been caught on camera roaming in backyards, and right in front of Rob Noirjean's home. He says they didn't get to the window in time to catch a glimpse of where the bear was headed.
"We jumped up and looked. We didn't run outside to chase after it or anything," Noirjean said.
It's the first time in his 30 years in the Evergreen subdivision there's been a bear sighting. So he's shared his video with neighbors.
So have others. The bear walked in front of a home Saturday night. It is seen looking around when a dog barks, and then moves on. The bear also left a trail in Trudy Cowman's backyard.
RAW VIDEO: Bear Wanders Through Woodbury Yard
"The minute I saw my birdfeeder, yep, it was a bear [laughs]!" Cowman said. "One of the poles was bent to almost a 90-degree angle. And he had to have been very full when he got done with all my bird seed [laughs]!"
They straightened the pole, and Cowman now takes the feeders in every night.
"I just think that, kind of, wild creatures, we've kind of interloped on their area too, and so they need a place to be," Cowman said.
Another video captured the bear two miles away, just before midnight on Monday. Scott Noland with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says bears are mainly in northern Minnesota, but can be found in Anoka and Washington counties.
"This time of the year they are waking up from hibernation and seasonally looking for food sources when the natural foods aren't as readily available," Noland said.
And Noland says with an increase in cameras, people are noticing more of them. The best advice is to leave a bear alone. The DNR recommends taking in small animals at night, and food sources -- like bird feeders and trash -- for two to three weeks until the bear moves on.
The DNR tracks bears that are outside of its traditional habitat. Click here to report a bear sighting, or see where they've been spotted.