Overview
- Utah wildlife officials said Thursday they have responded to 168 bear incidents so far in 2026, roughly double the 83 calls logged at the same point last year.
- A sequence of a warm spring, hard freezes and then extreme heat and drought damaged berries, acorns and other plants that make up about 90% of black bears’ diets, causing bears to move to lower elevations and neighborhoods.
- Relocation has limits because bears travel long distances or return to people; DWR biologists relocated a bear from Park City in May that turned up roughly 75 miles away in Provo Canyon in August.
- Utah lacks certified wildlife rehabilitation capacity for bear cubs, and agencies have euthanized orphaned cubs or animals that injure people, act aggressively, show little fear of people, or repeatedly enter populated areas.
- The surge is regional — Colorado has recorded record-high reports and New Mexico reported a fatal attack — and officials urge residents to remove attractants such as trash, pet food and unsecured grills to cut conflicts as development expands into bear habitat.