Bear on a guttercam

http://www.startribune.com/local/90767194.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUX

Pointing to two recent sightings of a black bear in Oakdale, police are urging residents to leave the animal alone and batten down the trash until the four-legged forager goes back from where it came. Police say the bear was first spotted Thursday about 9 p.m., crossing near the 7500 block of 10th Street. On Saturday night, an off-duty deputy saw a bear enter a culvert near the 8100 block of 4th Street. No sightings have surfaced since, said police officer and spokeswoman Michelle Stark.

The bear also appears to have at least one cub with her, Stark said. Thermal imaging from a "gutter cam" showed what appeared to be a cub, she said. "In the interest of public safety and the welfare of the bear and the possibility that the bear may have cubs, we are asking the public and the media to remain out of the area," police said in a news release. "It is in the best interest of the animal to move out of the area naturally."

Otherwise, the release said, human interaction could prompt the bear to "abandon her cubs or cause a situation where the bear may need to be euthanized."

"People are going down [to the location] trying to catch a glimpse of the bear," said officer and department spokeswoman Michelle Stark. Police want residents and business owners to secure their trash containers, and take in dog food, bird feeders, portable grills and any other items that might lure the bear.