Bear population continues to expand across Minnesota

When a black bear is spotted outside of its primary range in the northern third of the Minnesota – as has been the case recently in St. Cloud and locations south of the Twin Cities – the DNR’s state bear project leader, Andy Tri, generally hears about it.
Area DNR managers and others in the agency will alert him to the sightings. Social media posts have become commonplace, with a single bear-spotting resident turning the phenomenon into a Facebook talker. Invariably, Tri is asked a variation on a simple question: What are you going to do about it? The short answer: Nothing.