SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The number of incidents involving black bears in Utah has doubled since last year, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR).
DWR biologists and other partnering law enforcement agencies have responded 168 times so far this year to bear issues across the state. In 2025, the DWR responded a total of 83 times to black bear issues.
Warm weather conditions this spring, followed by several hard freezes, and then extreme heat and drought conditions have impacted plants such as berries and acorns and other root-like vegetation.
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These food sources make up 90% of a black bear’s diet. As a result, the DWR says bears have been seeking alternate food sources in other areas this year, which has led them to migrate into lower-elevation areas, including several neighborhoods.
“The weather this year has unfortunately had huge impacts on the normal food supply for bears, and they are scavenging in unusual areas,” Chad Wilson, DWR Game Mammals Coordinator, said…