Black bear, cubs sighted near regional park in Oak Grove, Minn.

OAK GROVE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Another black bear sighting was reported in the Twin Cities metro this week. 

FOX 9 viewer Nancy Koetz spotted a mother and her three cubs walking along Orchid Street in Oak Grove, Minnesota on Sunday, across from Lake George Regional Park. 

Earlier this week, the City of Arden Hills announced they had received several reports of a black bear near North Heights Lutheran Church on West Highway 96. 

Finding black bears in the Twin Cities metro and southern Minnesota is becoming more and more common as the bears’ range continues to expand south. 

To avoid conflicts with bears, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources advises residents to remove food sources from their yards, such as bird feeders, dog and cat food or unsecured garbage. 

The DNR said it does not relocate problem bears, because relocated bears seldom remain where they are released and often return to the neighborhoods. A conservation officer shot and killed a bear in North St. Paul last month after a crowd of spectators caused it to become cornered in a tree. 

FOX 9 BEAR WEEK: Black bear range expanding in south in Minnesota