Area closed to camping after bear ransacks 2 trailers


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VERNAL — Overnight camping is being prohibited in an area of the Book Cliffs after a black bear recently broke into two camper trailers.

The overnight closure was enacted by the Bureau of Land Management at the north end of the Book Cliffs in the PR Springs and Willow Canyon areas, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. The area will remain open for use during daytime hours.

“If you visit the area during the day, please be aware that an aggressive bear is in the area,” DWR regional supervisor Boyde Blackwell said in a statement.

He said a trap has been set to capture the bear. The size of a paw print found on the side of one of the trailers indicated the bear is likely a male, according to regional conservation outreach manager Ron Stewart.

The two trailers were unoccupied when the bear broke in and ransacked the cupboards looking for food, according to the DWR. The bear removed a skylight on one of the trailers to enter through the top.

A bear also damaged four vehicles belonging to people who were camping in the area earlier this month as part of an environmental protest against the U.S. Oil Sands mine near PR Springs, Uintah County Undersheriff John Laursen said.

If you encounter a bear

• Stand your ground. Never back up, lie down or play dead. Stay calm and give the bear a chance to leave. Prepare to use bear spray or another deterrent.
• Don't run away or climb a tree. Black bears are excellent climbers and can run up to 35 mph — you cannot outclimb or outrun them.
• Know bear behavior. If a bear stands up, grunts, moans or makes other sounds, it's not being aggressive. These are the ways a bear gets a better look or smell and expresses its interest.

If a bear attacks

• Use bear spray. Then leave the area. Studies have shown bear spray to be 92 percent successful in deterring bear attacks.
• Shoot to kill. If you use a firearm, never fire a warning shot—aim for the center of the bear and keep firing until it is dead. Notify the Division of Wildlife Resources immediately.
• Always fight back. And never give up! People have successfully defended themselves with almost anything: rocks, sticks, backpacks, water bottles and even their hands and feet.

Despite a few reports of bear encounters, Utah has not seen an unusual amount of bear activity this summer. But that doesn't mean bears aren't active in Utah wilderness. The Division of Wildlife Resources biologists estimate 2,000 black bears live in Utah.

Early last month, a bear wandered into a cabin in Big Cottonwood Canyon, and another bear was spotted at a girl's camp outside of Heber Valley.

"(Bears) are all over the state. Any time you are in a forested area in Utah, there's a chance a bear is somewhere in that vicinity," said Mark Hadley from the DWR.

To keep bears out of your campsite keep your site clean of food scraps and store food items and scented items like toothpaste in a car or hang them high up in a tree.

"Bears have an incredible sense of smell, and they will eat the same kinds of foods that we like to eat," Hadley said.

Contributing: Geoff Liesik

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