Black bear busts into Itasca State Park cabin after man leaves bananas out overnight

An unexpected guest broke into a man’s cabin at Itasca State Park in search of a midnight snack.

Over the weekend, camper Mike Roman shared his experience of a black bear coming through the window screen of his cabin near Douglas Lodge shortly after midnight July 12. His photo of the bear staring down his cooler got the attention of 3,500 people on the Itasca State Park through the lens Facebook group where there was no shortage of Yogi Bear memes and safety tips in bear country.

“Ey boo boo they got a pic-a-nic basket in there,” commented Desiree Stillday.

Note: Never leave a banana on the counter in your cabin. Definitely don’t leave out two. Assume the bear is Santa Claus and that might as well be a plate of cookies.

“For what it’s worth, this was the first time I had my cooler inside the cabin. Typically, I have always kept the cooler in my car trunk,” Roman wrote in the post. He said that, besides his cooler, the only visible food were the bananas and coffee.

He told commenters that he made loud noises and flashed lights from his phone but it didn’t do much to deter the bear that was in the screened-in porch. Meanwhile, he was inside, looking out from behind the front door window to document the encounter. The bear eventually left. Roman didn’t agree to an interview because he’s had enough “bear talk.”

“I kept the ‘bear’-story on that site mostly to inform/educate folks and learn from my ‘experience.’ I have [been] going to the park for decades without issue,” he wrote to the Star Tribune. “I will be back at the park in the fall. I will chat with the DNR/park staff to obtain current conditions, recommendations and advice!”

Park officials shared measures taken recently to reduce bear activity at the park and underscored that every visitor is accountable for responsible food storage to help keep bears at a distance.

In 2023, Itasca invested in a large project to replace all garbage and recycling receptacles located in public spaces throughout the park with bearproof dumpsters and garbage can enclosures. The park also took a strategic look at where to eliminate receptacles to further limit wildlife exposure to garbage.

Park staff continue to be proactive in communicating BearWise tips with visitors both online and at the park.

“As a result, bear activity at Itasca State Park has decreased dramatically this season compared to recent years,” said visitor services coordinator Heather Funk in an email. “Aside from a few curious bears wandering through the campgrounds early this spring, the park has not had reports of destructive behavior or unwanted encounters until recently when they were drawn to an area of the park with cabins.”

Funk said that black bears like the one Roman encountered have a very strong sense of smell that can detect food, trash and other scents from several miles away. If a bear learns where food is easily accessible, she said it can become a nuisance or a potential safety concern.

Although rarely necessary, sometimes a bear is “dispatched” (aka killed) to protect human safety.

The park tries to exhaust as many options as possible (warning signs, educational materials, closing campsites and cabins, issuing citations for not keeping a clean camp, etc.), to avoid that last resort.

Itasca State Park includes bear safety information in alerts and notices and seasonal updates on the park website through active bear seasons.

There is a special message to lodging guests on Itasca’s seasonal update page now that reads:

“Itasca State Park is home to black bears and racoons; avoid attracting wildlife to your cabin by storing scented items like coolers, trash, recycling, and pet food inside a locked vehicle or cabin. DO NOT leave attractants outside your cabin or inside the screen porch.”