Bear with us!

The Minnesota DNR estimates that the black bear population is somewhere between 13,000 and 18,000 bears, and one of them paid a visit to Thief River Falls on Thursday. The bear was captured on video in the pre-dawn hours near the Wells Fargo bank and outside Ingram’s Candy Store, before heading north.

Law enforcement blocked off Main Avenue between 4th and 5th streets, where the Black Bear was surrounded in a tree before being tranquilized. It eventually fell out of the tree and onto a crash pad, before getting back up. The bear was caged and relocated to a different location.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources assisted the Thief River Falls Police Department.

Bear encounters have become more common in Minnesota as bear country has expanded. DNR Bear Project Leader Andrew Tri says all of Minnesota is now considered bear country.