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WASATCH COUNTY — While many Utahns were celebrating the Fourth of July, Division of Wildlife Resources and Wasatch Electric employees relocated a black bear and cub that had been causing problems in Wasatch County.

The two bears had been causing issues in the Timber Lakes area for about a month, DWR said. The mother bear and her cub had climbed on porches and peeked in home windows, stolen and eaten bird seed from feeders and broken into several cars.

The female adult also recently “broke into a home and helped herself to cookies and chips on the counter,” DWR said.

On July 4, DWR officials located and tranquilized both bears and used Wasatch Electric’s 65-foot boom truck to safely move and relocate them to the Book Cliffs area.

People should never attempt to approach a bear and should always contact DWR officials if one is sighted in residential areas.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

If you do encounter a bear in your neighborhood or in the wild, here are some tips from DWR:

Never approach or feed 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 your 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 can’t out climb or outrun them.

Know bear behavior. If a bear stands up, grunts, moans or makes other sounds, it's not being aggressive, DWR said. These are the ways a bear gets a better look or smell and expresses its interest.

Freedom! Read about (and see photos of) the mama and baby bear we relocated last Saturday. | http://t.co/B8oFeZ7kKIpic.twitter.com/ywnLjIbb7Q — Utah DWR (@UtahDWR) July 6, 2015

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