The escape was a bear necessity!
The black bear that captured the internet’s attention by hanging onto a tree in Albany after being tranquilized by police has now been safely returned to its natural habitat, wildlife officials confirmed on Thursday.
The adventurous young bear took animal rescue efforts to new heights on Tuesday. After a dramatic standoff lasting more than six hours, the bear made a daring leap from the tree into a padded net below, as captured in some wild footage.
On Wednesday, a new video showed the bear eagerly dashing into the woods, away from the city center, as it was released by wildlife officials, according to state environmental conservation police.
The footage, shared by the agency on Instagram, depicts the bear sprinting from a metal enclosure into a forest still dusted with snow and scattered with bare trees.
“At this time of year, young bears, especially 1-year-old males, tend to wander away from their birth areas,” the agency explained in the post.
“They may move several dozen miles in this process, and occasionally they wind up in unusual spots, like an urban neighborhood.”
The bold bruin on Tuesday forced cops to block off streets for hours as a crowd of neighbors watched the “Animal Planet”-worthy drama unfold.
After it was shot with a tranquillizer, the strong-willed critter continued to climb higher into the tree — clinging to branches for roughly two more hours.
