Around 2h on 21/4, a young black bear climbed a tree next to a two-story house in Albany, northern New York state. When daylight broke, the bear had not left, prompting worried residents to alert police.
With assistance from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), police opted for the safest method: tranquilizing the bear and returning it to the Catskill mountain range.
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US police block off the area around the tree where the bear was holding out in New York. Photo: Times Union
Officials arranged cushions and stretched a large net to catch the bear when it fell from the tree. They fired the tranquilizer before noon, but it took nearly two hours for the drug to take effect.
During this time, the bear climbed higher and remained still in the tree, before gradually swaying as the tranquilizer took hold.
Despite police cordoning off part of the street, the animal's capture attracted a curious crowd of about 20 people. "Don't be afraid, little one!", someone shouted.
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US police prepare a net to catch the bear. Photo: Times Union
The small branch the bear was clinging to suddenly broke as the tranquilizer took effect. The bear tried to cling to the tree bark for a few more minutes, its hind legs dangling, before falling into the waiting net.
"It was clinging on like it was doing pull-ups", Sarina Heffernan, 33, a local resident, described.
The bear falls into the net prepared below. Video: Times Union
The bear was unharmed, loaded onto a truck, and later released back into the Catskill mountain range. Jeremy Hurst, a DEC biologist, stated that it was a one-year-old male black bear weighing about 60 kg. The animal had left its birth den to search for food.
Regional wildlife officials warned residents that bear sightings might become more frequent in the near future, as hibernation season is nearing its end. There are about 6,000-8,000 bears across New York state, primarily inhabiting the Adirondacks and Catskill regions.
New York officials release the bear back into the Catskill mountain range. Video: Times Union
Duc Trung (According to NY Post, WNYT, CBS News)
