A young black bear had a jarring fall from a tree in Denver on Sunday after wildlife officers tranquilized the animal as part of an effort to move it to a safer, more appropriate habitat.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a Sunday thread on X that its officers were called to the area near Louisiana Avenue and Pennsylvania Street after the bear was spotted up in a tree.
“This morning we responded to a bear in a tree … in Denver,” the agency wrote. “Not a typo. In Denver.”
A tranquilized black bear falls from a tree as Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Denver police respond in Denver on Aug. 23, 2026. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife NE Region)
According to CPW, wildlife officers tranquilized the black bear while working alongside Denver Police Department officers, who helped catch and secure the animal after it dropped from the tree.
“It didn’t have the smoothest landing, but the bear is ok!” officials said.
Video shared in the X thread showed the bear slipping down through several branches before officers reached it on the ground and brought the situation under control.
A young black bear sits in a tree in Denver before Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers tranquilized and removed it on Aug. 23, 2026. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife NE Region)
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CPW identified the animal as an approximately 1.5-year-old male yearling weighing about 100 pounds. The agency said the bear would be transported to better habitat and released.
The unusual Denver encounter comes as Colorado wildlife officials report an increase in bear activity this year, which they have linked to drought conditions and dwindling natural food sources.
CPW received 6,129 reports of bear sightings and conflicts between Jan. 1 and Aug. 13, compared with 3,115 during the same period last year, according to the agency.
A Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer prepares the tranquilized bear for transport after it was removed from a tree in Denver on Aug. 23, 2026. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife NE Region)
CPW also said in the X thread that drought conditions are driving more bears into neighborhoods in search of food.
“You’re not crazy, we are seeing more bear conflicts this year,” CPW wrote. “The drought is forcing bears to seek food in our neighborhoods.”
Wildlife officials are urging Coloradans to secure their trash until the morning of pickup, remove bird feeders and keep cars and windows locked to prevent bears from finding food around homes.
The Denver encounter also came just days after a mother bear and cub wandered into the city’s Harvey Park neighborhood. CPW tranquilized and relocated those animals after they remained in the populated area for several days.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife warns that bears can become increasingly active as they prepare for winter and search for enough calories to build their fat reserves.
