A bear cub trapped in a residential window well near Mount Pleasant Elementary School in Millcreek was euthanized Wednesday, Aug. 26, after wildlife officials said no accredited facility in or out of Utah could take the animal.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and North Valley Police Department removed the cub from the window well using a catch pole and loaded it into a live trap, KJZZ reported. Officers searched the surrounding neighborhood for the cub's mother and asked residents to call dispatch if they spotted another bear. No mother was found.

DWR game mammals coordinator Chad Wilson said a cub's chances of surviving without its mother are extremely low. Young orphaned cubs face starvation, predation and dangerous encounters with people, making release back into the wild impractical.

Utah has no certified wildlife rehabilitation facilities equipped to house bears or other large predators. DWR said it pursued multiple out-of-state options before concluding none could accept the cub, according to the Deseret News.

"The extreme conditions have led to this year having the highest number of bears in cities that we've ever had in Utah," Wilson told the Deseret News.

The statewide data reflects that surge. As of Aug. 25, wildlife officers and law enforcement agencies had responded to 168 bear incidents across Utah in 2026, Wilson said. The full-year total for 2025 was 83. Wilson attributed the increase to extreme drought, wildfires and erratic weather that severely reduced natural food sources such as berries and acorns, which make up 90% of a black bear's diet.

A bear was also spotted Saturday, Aug. 22, climbing a tree near the Lake Blanche Trailhead parking lot in Big Cottonwood Canyon, according to ABC4.

DWR said euthanizing an animal is always the most painful outcome of its work. As of Thursday, Aug. 27, the agency has not announced any policy changes or new rehabilitation capacity in response to the incident.

Residents who spot a bear in Millcreek or surrounding neighborhoods should contact local dispatch immediately rather than approaching the animal.