BRIAN HEAD — While Brian Head is known for its wildlife viewing opportunities, with mule deer, yellow-bellied marmots and others commonly seen in town, at least one animal can still cause a stir: bears.

A young cinnamon-colored black bear has been spotted around the town, seemingly in search of food. It was first spotted on a security camera on June 15 and reported to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which has been tracking the bear, said Jason Nicholes, a wildlife biologist and assistant wildlife manager with the DWR’s Southern Region.

From the pictures, Nicholes said it appears the bear is about 18 months old and is likely leaving its mother as the breeding season begins. Whether it is male or female is undetermined, as it is difficult to tell from a distance or from pictures until they are approximately 3 years old.

Brian Head residents Betty and Dan Phelan were the first to spot the bear as it crossed in front of their security camera shortly after 6 a.m. and later reported the sighting to the DWR.

The sighting was a surprise, Betty Phelan told St. George News.

“We’ve been in Brian Head and had a cabin there for 20 years now, and that’s the first time we’ve ever seen a bear,” she said, adding that the couple is used to bears: “My husband’s originally from Montana and where I’m from in Canada, we have bears. So, you know, we’re already bear smart.”

On June 16, across town, the same bear was presumedly seen again, Nicholes said. This sighting was near Steam Engine Drive, 2-3 miles northeast of the Phelan’s home, Betty Phelan said.

Brian Head resident Ann Benson said the bear also turned up in her backyard, appearing somewhat sleepy, yawning and closing its eyes.

“The dogs are barking,” she recalled. “We were making dinner and my husband looked out the back door … and said, ‘What are they barking at?'”

The black bear was on a wall above her yard and appeared to be looking for a way to get down, Benson said. Later, it was in her grandchildren’s sandbox 6-10 feet from the Benson’s sliding glass door.

“It was amazing to see him. I mean, he was super, super close, and he didn’t show any aggression,” she said, adding that while she doesn’t want him around all the time, she feels that “this is where they live. So, I’m not one of the ones saying, like, ‘Oh, he’s got to be removed.'”

Benson said the couple has seen various animals near their home, including raccoons, foxes and deer, but this was the first bear they’ve spotted.

“But we’re here for that,” she added.

The bear was smaller and more mellow than those she’d seen traveling to Lake Tahoe in Nevada, she said.

“I think he was just hungry,” Benson said. “He didn’t seem like he was being a nuisance or anything like that. He was just hungry and just kind of cruising around looking for food.”

These sightings were chronicled by Mike Saemisch on the Facebook page Life of Brian Head. In a post, Saemisch suggested that the bear could be “Cubby,” an orphaned black bear cub who was spotted in the area in 2020 and later rescued and released by the DWR.

Since mid-June, Nicholes said there have been no new reports of bear activity in the area. Additionally, the bear doesn’t appear to have posed a threat to anyone or caused any property damage.

“At this time, there is little concern about the bear’s behavior,” he said. “It is just a bear sighting in bear habitat.”

Living in bear country

Teresa Griffin, a wildlife program manager with the DWR, said that while sightings are rare, bears are everywhere in Utah, from the highest elevations to the deserts. The black bear, Ursus americanus, is the only species people are likely to see in the state, but not all of the animals are actually black.

“Most of them have unique color phases from blonde, strawberry and brown,” she said. “I have only seen one ‘black’ black bear.”

The division hasn’t estimated the number of bears in Utah but does track the age and percentage of females in the bears harvested each year, Griffin said.

According to the Utah Black Bear Management Plan, the DWR believes the state’s bear population has increased since 1990, which was indicated by data collected showing increasing harvests, increasing numbers of bear-livestock and human-bear conflicts, a rising number of bears caught in traps and an increase in research bears reproducing.

“Population reconstruction estimates minimum adult bear numbers have likely increased since 2006 and continue to grow, with some slowing in overall growth rate since 2015,” the document states.

Southern Utahns should enjoy bear sightings from a distance. Homeowners and visitors should also remove attractants from their homes and vehicles so “bears stay out of trouble and keep people safe,” Griffin said.

Dan Phelan said people leaving garbage out could cause the bear to stick around and create a “problem for him or her” as it provides an easy meal.

Additionally, Griffin said, “Love is in the air for bears right now, so there can be a lot of big movements of bears looking for a mate. This is also the time of year that a mother cuts the apron strings with cubs. Black bears keep their cubs with them for about 1.5 years. Small bears seen at this time of year could be dispersing yearlings that were just sent away from the sow.

“It could be that young bears are just trying to figure out life on their own, and we want to make sure they learn good omnivorous black bear behavior without getting into human food and learning bad habits.”

If a person encounters a black bear, they should stand their ground, stay calm and give the bear a chance to leave; those with bear spray on hand should prepare to use it. But, people should “never back up, lie down or play dead,” according to this article from the DWR.

Black bears are “excellent climbers” and fast runners, with speeds clocking in at 35 miles per hour, so hikers should not run away or climb trees, the website states.

“You cannot outclimb or outrun them,” the division adds.

Southern Utahns should get to know bear behaviors.

“If a bear stands up, grunts, moans or makes other sounds, it’s not being aggressive,” according to the DWR. “These are the ways a bear gets a better look or smell and expresses its interest. If a black bear attacks, 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.”

To learn more about bear encounters, read more on Wild Aware Utah’s website.

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