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Park City resident gets a 'bear-y' special visitor at home

Posted at 8:59 PM, Jul 05, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-05 23:44:32-04

PARK CITY, Utah — A Park City resident got a "bear-y" special visitor at their home today.

FOX 13 viewer Wendy Preston said she saw the bear on her deck in the Pinebrook neighborhood.

She said she was going to let her dog out on a leash and saw the bear walking around her home before it climbed on her deck, trying to get to the bird feeder.

Preston said there's miles of hiking and biking trails around her area that are heavily used. She wanted others to be aware of the bear.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said they got a report about the animal earlier and now a conservation officer is trying to locate the bear to haze it from the area.

DWR says hazing means scaring it away from a neighborhood to try and get the bear to head back into the hills where it will be safe.

With the drought conditions across the state, DWR reported in May that some Utahns may see more bears as their normal food supply is decreased, leading them to seek alternate food sources.

Experts recommend a few tips to keep yourself and bears safe:

1 - Bear-proof your food and supplies
2 - Keep your cooking area clean
3 - Keep your campsite clean
4 - Never feed a bear
5 - Bear-proof your outdoor garbage cans
6 - Remove items such as birdfeeders, fruit trees, compost piles, beehives, pet bowls and grills if you live in the foothills or other mountainous parts of Utah.
7 - Know what to do if you encounter a bear: Stand your ground, don't run or climb a tree, know bear behavior and if a black bear attacks, fight back.