Bears may usually be associated with honey, but one Utah cub couldn’t resist Salt Lake City’s Marmalade neighborhood Wednesday morning.
The bear was first seen at about 7:40 a.m. in a tree near Reed Avenue between 300 West and Wall Street, according to Salt Lake City police. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials responded to help the animal leave the area safely, and authorities asked that residents stay inside, especially those with small pets.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A black bear stands in a tree in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
By 10:32 a.m., the bear had been hit by at least one tranquilizer dart, and officials were working to move a bucket truck underneath the animal to bring it down safely. The bear, however, slipped and fell from the tree before the bucket could get underneath the animal. DWR Outreach Manager Scott Root estimated the bear fell about 15 feet.
“It’s a little distance,” Root noted, “but they’re tough.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A black bear falls from a tree after being tranquilized in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
The bear was loaded into a culvert trap, and officials administered a drug to reverse the effects of the the tranquilizer, which was expected to take about 20 minutes to wake the animal. DWR biologists assessed the bear later Wednesday afternoon and safely released it into a habitat with lush vegetation.
“When we release it, we’ll give it a health evaluation, make sure it’s OK,” Root said earlier Wednesday. “We’ll watch it as they release it. ... They have fallen before, not very often, but they’ve done OK in the past in the few times something like that’s happened.”
Officials also placed a numbered ear tag on the bear so they can identify if it tries to return to a city or town, Root said.
“That was a tough situation,” Root said. “It’s a new area. ... I’ve been here for 34 years.I don’t remember having one right here. We’ve had elk, we’ve had mountain lions, but I don’t remember a bear here in this location.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Utah Department of Natural Resources worker aims a tranquilizer gun at a bear in a tree in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Officials load a tranquilized black bear into a trap after it fell from a tree in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
Officials identified the animal as a 2-year-old male black bear. Black bears are the only bear species found in Utah, Division of Wildlife Resources spokesperson Faith Heaton Jolley said Wednesday, and the state has a healthy population of them — although they are usually foraging in the foothills or canyons.
“We will from time to time see bears that migrate down into the city areas.” Heaton Jolly said, “It’s typically them just spreading out looking for food.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) People look on as law enforcement officials monitor a bear in a tree in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
Salt Lake City police closed roads near Reed Avenue between 300 West and Wall Street at about 8 a.m., and reopened them about three hours later.
“It is pretty unique,” police spokesperson Yaier Javaid told reporters. “I’m pretty sure that none of the officers here thought they were going to be responding to a bear in a tree, but we’re committed to providing safety for our community and stuff, so we’re going to make sure this situation is resolved safely.”
