LOCAL NEWS

Wildlife Officials Tranquilize, Relocate Multiple Bears Across Utah

Aug 23, 2019, 4:33 PM | Updated: Jan 4, 2023, 11:17 am

(Utah Division of Wildlife Resources/Twitter)...

(Utah Division of Wildlife Resources/Twitter)

(Utah Division of Wildlife Resources/Twitter)

PAYSON, Utah – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials said they immobilized and relocated a black bear that was found near a farm in Payson.

Not long after he stepped out the door and checked on the cattle Friday morning, Kenny Young spotted it just down the path from him.

A black bear was perched at the base of a tree before it saw Young and started climbing.

“(It) got up in that branch about 25-feet off the ground,” Young said. “It’d just kind of ‘uhh, uhh’—you know, grunt at you.”

Young pulled his truck up close to the tree to try to keep it from escaping, called 911 and managed to capture some pictures of the bear as Payson Police and officers from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources responded.

“The bear must have gotten tired of sitting in that tree and being patient because when they showed up with a bear trap to capture him, to relocate him, he came out of the tree and took off,” Young said.

Young said the bear managed to spook the horses and cattle before taking refuge in a swamp.

“I stuck around for a while to see if he ever came out,” Young said. “Pretty quick, he came out.”

Wildlife officers scrambled over to that area of the farm located near 900 North and 500 East and were able to tranquilize the bear.

“Everything went really well,” said Scott Root, DWR conservation outreach manager.

Root said the bear, which was believed to be between 200 and 250 lbs., was taken to a remote area of Utah County and released into the wild.

Young said this wasn’t actually his first close encounter with a bear.

A bear once chased him up a tree, taking his shoe in the process, according to Young, and he was also chased out of some brush by another bear.

“He was eating a lot of apricots and living off the fruit-growers out here,” Young chuckled. “He’ll live a good life. It was a happy ending.”

DWR officials said bear encounters have been on the rise in Utah this summer. In July alone, more than double the number of encounters had been reported compared to the same time last year.


Related stories:


“We’re seeing more bear activity this year. We are kind of surprised by it actually,” said Scott Root, Community Outreach Manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “By far, most of those encounters have taken place in residential areas, in the foothills.”

Also on Friday, officials with the Department of Natural Resources and Moab Valley Fire rescued a sow and two cubs in southern Utah.

Today Moab Valley Fire Department was asked to assist The Utah DNR with the removal of a sow and 2 cubs from a tree. …

Posted by Moab Valley Fire Department on Friday, August 23, 2019

Authorities already had to relocate one bear that was found near Mapleton earlier this summer. That incident came just two days after a bear was located and euthanized after making contact with and scratching a boy.

For more information about wildlife awareness and safety visit Wild Aware Utah.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Police confirmed Monday they were investigating whether the same driver was responsible for multipl...

Andrew Adams

Police investigate whether same driver is responsible for multiple hit-and-runs

Police confirmed Monday they were investigating whether the same driver was responsible for multiple hit-and-run collisions.

56 minutes ago

two men sit at a table and look at a phone...

Matt Gephardt

Imposters stealing Utah restaurant names to deceive drivers and customers on food delivery apps

When a popular Provo pizzeria couldn’t get a food delivery app to remove an impostor account, the owners decided to Get Gephardt to investigate.

2 hours ago

The spring homebuying season is here, and realtor Alicia Holdaway says Utah’s housing market is g...

Daniel Woodruff

What’s changing in Utah’s housing market after real estate lawsuit settlement

The spring homebuying season is here, and realtor Alicia Holdaway says Utah’s housing market is getting busy.

2 hours ago

One of Utah County's three commissioners has been battling a tumor causing him to miss a series of ...

Lindsay Aerts

Utah County Commission chair calls for resignation of Tom Sakievich over ability to work

One of Utah County's three commissioners has been battling a tumor causing him to miss a series of recent commission meetings and other county work.

3 hours ago

A Weber County family is mourning the loss of a 28-year-old man killed in a wrong way crash early S...

Garna Mejia

Family grieves the loss of a man killed in Sunday’s wrong-way crash

A Weber County family is mourning the loss of a 28-year-old man killed in a wrong-way crash early Sunday morning.

4 hours ago

The motorcycle accident that happened near 350 South 200 East....

Michael Houck

Motorcyclist crash closes road in Salt Lake City

Police say a critical injury crash involving a motorcyclist has closed a road in downtown Salt Lake City.

5 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

Wildlife Officials Tranquilize, Relocate Multiple Bears Across Utah