Campers at Way of the Wilderness campground and staff at Wilderness Canoe Base have been startled—and frustrated—by some unwelcome wildlife recently. A pair of enterprising bear cubs and their mother have been finding their way into places they do not belong.
Bud Darling, at Way of the Wilderness, said some campers at his resort received the surprise of their life when they went to toss some trash in the resort Dumpster. A pair of bear cubs was trapped inside the container!
Darling said the Dumpster has bars that are supposed to make the trash container bear-proof, but apparently the mother bear figured out that she could fold the metal lid over the bar, allowing just enough space for the cubs to crawl inside. Once inside however, the cubs were unable to get back out.
Darling contacted Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Darin Fagerman, who suggested that they try to tip the Dumpster over to let the cubs out. Bud Darling and his son, Mark, did just that. They hooked a strap to the Dumpster and using a pick-up tipped it on end. They then opened the lid and stepped back to let the cubs out. “They have not been back,” said Bud Darling, adding, “I hope it scared them enough to keep them away.”
The Darlings did not see the mother, but they have heard from some summer homeowners that a very large mother bear and two cubs had been in the area. “We didn’t see her, but we figured she wasn’t far away,” said Darling.
CO Fagerman got another report from Wilderness Canoe Base about a pair of bear cubs in a walk-in cooler. “Sounds like the same two culprits,” he said.
Christian Bane at the canoe base confirmed that they have been having problems at the camp, which is on an island on Seagull Lake. The camp was first disturbed about 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 27 by the mother bear. She was chased off, but unbeknownst to staffers, the cubs had entered a walk-in cooler in a shed. They were discovered the next morning. “We opened the cooler and stepped back to let them scurry off,” said Bane, noting, “They caused quite a mess and damaged a lot of food.”
The cubs unfortunately were not frightened enough to stay away. They have since ruined a deep freezer. “When we catch them, we shout at them and they run off. But they don’t seem to be afraid. The mother bear has been near the cubs. We haven’t had any violent encounters,” said Bane.
Fagerman said it is likely that the bears have been finding food near humans somewhere in the area. He reminds people to put away bird feeders and take garbage in this time of year. If the bears continue to be a problem, they may have to be shot, as the DNR does not relocate problem animals. “It is tough. Once they become accustomed to finding food, it is tough to keep them away.”
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