Minnesota homeowner thought a dog was in the yard until a young black bear came running through the neighborhood

A routine Wednesday morning in Edina, Minnesota, took a surprising turn when what seemed to be a loose dog in a yard turned out to be a young black bear moving through the neighborhood. 

What happened?

Around 10 a.m. on June 3, handyman Lee Bottem was working at a house in Edina's Concord neighborhood when he and the homeowner spotted an animal outside, according to WCCO CBS News Minnesota.

At first, Bottem said, it looked like someone's pet had wandered over. "The customer says, 'Oh my gosh, somebody's dog's in our yard,' and so I went to look and I just heard her yell, 'Oh my gosh, it's a bear!'" he said.

Edina officials said the animal is a black bear estimated to be 2 to 3 years old. The city said reports started coming in the previous weekend and suspects the bear may be following Minnehaha Creek as it looks for its mother.

Bottem said the setting seemed to box the bear in. "It's right off of the freeway, so there's a lot of noise coming... the bear was kind of moving away from that, running through the yards," he said. "The bear really had nowhere to go. It was all fences and treelined. Looked like it was trying to get out of there."

Why does it matter?

Black bears are part of Minnesota's wildlife, but they are far more commonly linked with the northern part of the state than with a developed suburb in the Twin Cities.

A young bear moving through neighborhoods may be trying to follow natural corridors such as creeks, but freeways, fences, yards, and other obstacles can turn that route into a stressful and dangerous maze.

Sightings like this will also become increasingly common as urban development disrupts habitats and pushes wildlife closer into less wild areas. 

What's being done?

Edina Police Sgt. Anna Eckstein said, "The biggest thing we're urging for residents to do is to remove potential food sources," according to WCCO. 

Residents are being told to bring in bird feeders, secure garbage, and keep pets supervised.

If anyone spots the bear, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking people to report it through the agency's website. Reporting sightings can help officials track the animals' movements and respond if conditions become unsafe.

Officials said residents should give the bear space. Trying to approach it, follow it, or take a close-up photo can make an already tense situation worse for both people and the animal.

Bottem said the sighting was an unusual moment for the neighborhood. "In Edina nothing like this really ever happens."

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