The Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a black bear cub near the Heber City Airport Wednesday morning.
Sheriff’s deputies and an officer with the Utah Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division captured the bear between the airfield fence and U.S. Highway 189.
Authorities were unable to find the cub’s mother.
State wildlife coordinator Chad Wilson said when animals wander from their natural habits, deciding what to do depends on the circumstances.
“On this particular one, we euthanized the bear because it did bite an officer, and anytime there's that, we just out of an abundance of caution for people, we do prioritize people over the wildlife,” he said.
He said the bear will be tested for rabies, a test that cannot be done on live animals.
Wilson says bear sightings and encounters in Utah and the West have increased this year, including this week’s incident in Heber and another seen roaming Salt Lake City’s Avenues neighborhood the same day.
He said spring freezes and extreme heat and drought have reduced the animals’ main food source.
“So the acorns and berries and whatnot that the bears rely on for food, there just isn't the food on the mountain that there generally is,” he said. “So we're thinking that because of that, bears are out searching in different places and exploring different areas to try to find food.”
Black bears are found across Utah and Wilson says people may see more of them as they search for food.
He said there are a few things people can do to keep from attracting bears.
“Any food items, like pet food outside, bird feeders, trash, charcoal grills, all of that,” he said. “If you can secure those inside, in a secure location, then it reduces that risk of them coming into your neighborhood into your area.”
When bears are seen in a populated area or within city limits, state officials say to report the sighting to the Division of Wildlife Resources.
More bear safety information can be found at WildAwareUtah.org.
