Video: Bear with trap on its leg spotted in Maple Grove neighborhood
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A black bear with a trap stuck on its leg has been seen wandering around a neighborhood in Maple Grove this week. And now, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it will step in to help the animal.
The DNR received "multiple reports" about the bear and in collaboration with Three Rivers Park District, officials with the department intend to trap the bear, anesthetize it and remove the trap from the bear's leg, Andrew Tri, the bear project leader with the DNR, told FOX 9 on Thursday.
The plan is to deploy traps late this week or early next week to catch the animal.
"It sometimes can take a while to get a bear to enter the trap, but we plan to help this bear out, if possible. If the public encounters our barrel traps, please leave them alone," Tri said.
Typically, the DNR does not intervene with bears that have injuries, but it will this time because the bear has a trap on its leg, Tri explained.
"They have an amazing healing factor and can thrive despite most injuries," Tri said. "We get reports of bears with three legs at least a few times per year across the state."
The good news is, based on what the DNR knows about the Maple Grove bear is it can "eat and drink just fine," Tri said.
A black bear with a trap on its leg has been spotted in Maple Grove recently. (Submitted photo / FOX 9)
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To prevent an encounter with a bear, the DNR recommends removing birdfeeders and ensuring trash cans are locked in a garage or a shed.
The DNR has other tips for coexisting with bears here.