| At the beginning of June, Game and Fish officials predicted the state would see a lot of nuisance bears entering populated areas in search of easy food. That forecast proved accurate, as the state wildlife agency dealt with 206 reports of bear activity from more than 50 Arizona communities from June 1st through the 30th. They say the majority of these calls are resolved when homeowners remove things that attract bears or they scare the problem bear away. For the month, Game and Fish captured a total of 20 bears that were causing damage in populated areas. Seven of those bears were repeat offenders or so aggressive they had to be euthanized. Wildlife managers assessed each bear’s aggressiveness and behavior and determined each bear was a threat to public safety. Fourteen bears were relocated well away from human development, but officials say relocating a bear doesn’t always deter it. Two bears were recaptured when they returned to populated areas. Bears continue to be found in residential areas around the state. The most recent was a black bear that had to be relocated from an Uptown Sedona neighborhood Sunday. |
