The Minnesota Zoo officially opened its new black bear exhibit on Saturday, and visitors delighted in Tiva, Syke and Kuruk, who were orphaned in Minnesota as cubs and now have a spacious new home. Among the visitors: troubled actor Mel Gibson, Burnsville Patch reports.

Wildlife officials shot and killed a collared yearling black bear Thursday after it went into an Ely-area garage. There were children in the area, according to reports. The bear had been collared in July by Lynn Rogers of the Wildlife Research Institute in Ely, but it wasn’t one of the well-known bears tracked by Rogers and other researchers or followed by the public on Internet webcams.

A Lino Lakes man told the Star Tribune he was driving home from the Minnesota Twins game Monday night when he collided with a full-grown bear. The 27-year-old says he was traveling about 60 miles per hour in his Volkswagen Jetta when he hit the animal.

Pet Project Rescue flew home 30 homeless pups from Mexico Thursday night. The dogs will go to foster families throughout Minnesota.

The Wisconsin record for a black bear is 727 pounds. However, officials say Feia's trophy could weigh more, because they couldn't raise the bear any higher on their scale.

When his wife heard a man calling for help, Dan Bauer grabbed a ladder and ran onto the ice of Lake Sarah. He helped rescue Steven Peterka, who had crashed through thin ice on his ATV and spent nearly half an hour in the icy water.