Wildlife officials euthanize bear after it tried to enter Payson home

PHOENIX — Officials have been forced to euthanize another bear after it was spotted aggressively attempting to enter a residence in Payson.

Wildlife officers from the Arizona Game and Fish Department said the bear visited the home for three days in a row, causing property damage on the front and back porches.

Homeowner Joseph Stapp said he was asleep on Tuesday when he heard a loud crash on the porch of the home he is building.

“I looked out the front door, and the bear and I were face to face,” Stapp said in a press release.

“He was pushing on the door, and I was pushing back. I was not scared, but I couldn’t shoo him.”

The bear had already attempted to get into the home on Tuesday, but it was temporarily scared off by a neighbor throwing rocks. It returned later that night and Wednesday.

Stapp told wildlife officials that he had to secure a garbage can containing dog food inside the home after the bear had gotten into it several times earlier in the week.

Game and Fish officers decided to euthanize the bear because of its aggressive behavior and lack of fear toward humans.

This was the third time in recent weeks that a bear has been spotted in a residential area in Arizona.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department posted a video on its Facebook page of a bear roaming around a Mesa neighborhood on May 17. The department had received reports of a bear spotted at a Mesa country club the day before.

A young bear was euthanized on May 29 by Arizona Game and Fish officers in an Anthem neighborhood after showing up twice in residential areas. The same bear was captured in the Prescott area 10 days earlier. It’s believed the bear walked 40 miles to Anthem looking for food.

Officials said the increase in bear activity statewide has been due to drought conditions.

“This season’s extremely dry conditions are making it difficult for bears to find natural food and water sources, increasing the chances of bears coming into neighborhoods,” Wildlife Manager Jarrod McFarlin said in a press release.

“Bears can become habituated to human-related food sources and quickly lose their fear of humans. People living in bear country should do their part to keep wildlife safe by removing attractants such as bird seed, pet food, hummingbird feeders, and trash from their yards, and by keeping all trash inside a secured area until collection day.”

Game and Fish officials are currently monitoring other bears in Show Low, Yarnell, Pinetop, Mesa and along the southern border.

Anyone who comes in contact with wildlife is encouraged to keep a safe distance, to not feed and not interact with them. Aggressive or unusual animal behavior can be reported to the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 623-236-7201.

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