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Very strange. First time I have heard of this, and I have been in the area for 45 years.
Source: Black bear shot, killed in N. St. Paul neighborhood | StarTribune.com
Black bear shot, killed in N. St. Paul, MN neighborhood
By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune
Last update: September 25, 2009 - 2:35 PM
A black bear was shot and killed this morning after wandering into a North St. Paul neighborhood.
"Unfortunately, it attracted a lot of the public's attention and they weren't going to leave it alone, so it had to be put down," said Police Chief Tom Lauth.
Shortly before 9 a.m., a staff member at St. Peter's Catholic School on N. Margaret Street called police after spotting the bear wandering around on school grounds.
When police arrived, a crowd had already gathered, "wanting to get pictures of the cute little bear, that kind of thing," Lauth said.
In addition to curious adults, a large number of children were in the neighborhood, where several schools are located. Police told school staffers to keep the children indoors.
After the bear climbed a tree, an officer from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staffer shot bean bags at the bear to coax it back to the ground.
When the bear tried to run away, the department officers shot it, Lauth said.
"With the public so curious, it became a public safety issue," he said. "These animals are normally nocturnal so we couldn't be sure if it was sick or injured."
He added: "We heard a report yesterday there was a bear spotted in Maplewood, so it may have been the same one. It was definitely not a normal thing. In over 20 years here, I've never seen one before."
Source: Black bear shot, killed in N. St. Paul neighborhood | StarTribune.com
Black bear shot, killed in N. St. Paul, MN neighborhood
By BOB VON STERNBERG, Star Tribune
Last update: September 25, 2009 - 2:35 PM
A black bear was shot and killed this morning after wandering into a North St. Paul neighborhood.
"Unfortunately, it attracted a lot of the public's attention and they weren't going to leave it alone, so it had to be put down," said Police Chief Tom Lauth.
Shortly before 9 a.m., a staff member at St. Peter's Catholic School on N. Margaret Street called police after spotting the bear wandering around on school grounds.
When police arrived, a crowd had already gathered, "wanting to get pictures of the cute little bear, that kind of thing," Lauth said.
In addition to curious adults, a large number of children were in the neighborhood, where several schools are located. Police told school staffers to keep the children indoors.
After the bear climbed a tree, an officer from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staffer shot bean bags at the bear to coax it back to the ground.
When the bear tried to run away, the department officers shot it, Lauth said.
"With the public so curious, it became a public safety issue," he said. "These animals are normally nocturnal so we couldn't be sure if it was sick or injured."
He added: "We heard a report yesterday there was a bear spotted in Maplewood, so it may have been the same one. It was definitely not a normal thing. In over 20 years here, I've never seen one before."
