Officials catch and kill aggressive bear near Payson

PAYSON — A Forest Service campground was reopened Thursday after wildlife officials caught and euthanized a bear that was causing concern in the area.

More than 100 sites at the Payson Lakes campground were closed Wednesday after a bear was reported acting aggressively toward campers, said Utah Division of Wildlife Resources outreach manager Scott Root.

The adult male black bear reportedly charged a man and jumped on a car while efforts to chase the animal away were unsuccessful, Root said.

"With all his actions combined, it was necessary to euthanize the bear," he said.

State wildlife officials caught the bear late Wednesday night and later killed it.

Root said it is uncommon for bears to threaten or even be seen in Utah campgrounds.

"It's really news to us if a bear shows up in a campground and we always want to know about it," he said.

The campground is about 12 miles southeast of Payson on the Nebo Loop road.

— Josh Smith