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.

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.

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

It's not an epidemic quite yet, but nuisance bear complaints are on the rise in parts of northwest Minnesota. DNR officers tell the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead that they've logged at least eight bear complaints in the past week alone. The culprit? A short supply of acorns and berries.