Just like in a classic fairy tale, a black bear’s adventure in Albany had a crowd captivated as it unfolded Tuesday. The young bear found itself stubbornly perched atop a tree, drawing the attention of onlookers after police efforts to coax it down included tranquilization.
The leafy streets of Albany became the scene of an unusual spectacle as local law enforcement worked to rescue a black bear cub that appeared to have trapped itself among the branches of a tree not much taller than the nearby two-story homes.
The bear made its climb around 2 a.m., according to CBS 6 Albany, and by the time daylight broke, it was still holding its high position. Concerned locals decided it was time to call in the authorities.
In collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, police determined that the safest course of action was to tranquilize the bear and return it to its natural habitat in the Catskill Mountains.
To ensure the bear’s safety during its descent, officers placed a large net and padding beneath the tree. The bear was tranquilized shortly before noon, but it took nearly two hours for the sedative to take effect, a delay that was broadcast live via CBS 6’s coverage of the event.
The officers set up a large net and padding to catch the cub when it inevitably fell out of the tree. They tranquilized it just before noon, but it took almost two hours for the sedative to take full effect, as captured on CBS 6’s bear watch.
The bear climbed higher and continued to lounge in the tree, before it eventually grew woozy over the next two hours.
Finally, one twig that it clung to snapped. The startled bear slowly leaned backwards, like it was trying to figure out what had just happened, before losing its footing entirely and tumbling off the branch — only to land on a sturdier one closer to the ground.
The bear kept a desperate hold on the bark for several more minutes, its hind legs dangling in the air, before it appeared to pass out entirely and fell right into the prepared safety net.
Wildlife officials warned that bear sightings will likely be more common as the annual hibernation period comes to a close.
