MORGAN, Utah — A black bear wandered onto a Utah middle school campus Monday morning.
The bear was spotted at Morgan Middle School around 7 a.m. wandering around an open practice field, according to Gwen Romero a spokesperson for the Morgan School District.
Students were warned immediately and secured inside the building.
Raw video below shows the black bear on and near the school campus:
After wandering on the campus, the bear made its way to the river about a half-block away and went up a tree between 110 and 200 North.
Animal control was called and used a tranquilizer to capture the bear.
Wildlife officials place black bear in vehicle after tranquilizing the animal
After the black bear was spotted, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources sent out a reminder that the odds of an encounter increases as the drought continues in the state. Because of the lack of normal food supply, the bears are forced to seek alternate sources, which leads them into more heavily populated areas.
“The lower food supply could lead to more bear conflicts this summer as bears look more broadly for food,” said DWR Game Mammals Coordinator Darren DeBloois. “We’re anticipating a possible increase in incidents this year of bears getting into people’s garbage and scavenging for food.”
Residents should remove the following items that will attract bears to homes:
- Birdfeeders (both seed and hummingbird)
- Fruit trees
- Compost piles
- Beehives
- Pet food and water bowls
- Unsupervised outdoor pets (especially at night)
- Barbecue grills
Neighborhood garbage cans should be bear-proofed, and should only be set out in the morning, rather than the night before.
