An Albertville man shot and killed a black bear that wandered into his yard Tuesday evening, according to the Wright County Sheriff's Office.
The Sheriff's Office got a call about 7:45 p.m. Tuesday from a resident of the 10000 block of 64th Street NE. in the northwest metro community, saying that a bear had come up to the sliding-glass door in the resident's back yard.
A sheriff's deputy spotted the bear near another residence a few blocks away, on the other side of a park and wooded area. Then a gunshot sounded, and the deputy saw the bear run into the woods, where it died shortly thereafter, according to a statement.
The man who shot the bear contacted the sheriff and said his daughter had been playing in the back yard when the bear approached their house from the woods. Worried for his family's safety, he took up a hunting rifle and shot the bear.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Sheriff's Office have closed their investigations into the incident.
Many black bears have been spotted across the metro area this spring and summer, which isn't unusual, wildlife experts say.
There are about 20,000 black bears in Minnesota, according to the DNR. They typically live in forested areas but go out into clearings and populated areas to find food.
On average, Minnesota hunters kill about 3,000 bears each year.
