On Monday, May 7, Manchester, New Hampshire police responded to a call about a bear found on the city’s West Side. The bear was found sleeping on a tree limb.
Lt. Brian O’Keefe sent out a public notice early that morning, warning people to stay away from the cross streets. The police also called the New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission to have their assistance in getting the bear down safely. Until then, though, it was best for the public to stay out of the area.
Within a couple of hours of the notice, conservation officers from the NH Fish and Game appeared on site with nets. The bear was up in a tree within a childcare playground.
He had been found sleeping there by the Saint Marie’s Child Care Center. Conservation Officer Chris McKee said the bear had likely spent the night in the area, snacking on bird seed and getting into the trash cans.
The police worked with the NH Fish and Game and their animal biologist. The goal was to figure out the safest way to get the bear down from the tree. People from both organizations began to set up nets.
The Bear Returns Safely To The Ground
The conservation officers were able to subdue the bear with a tranquilizer, though the bear was not all that elusive. The process worked exactly as they had hoped, with a net beneath the tree and the bear safely tranquilized.
After the tranquilizers kicked in, the bear fell from the tree and into the net. He was then transferred to a crate to be relocated.
The conservation officers estimated that the bear was only one or two years old, and weighed about 115 pounds. Though the bear appeared comfortable to sleep in the city’s tree, he was relocated to the Lakes Region area of the state. The goal was to be sure it could best survive in the wild.
Based on his age, it was likely the bear had been cut loose from his mother and had begun his search for his own place to live. McKee said it is not uncommon to see bears like this one in Manchester, especially this time of year. However, thankfully, local officers are knowledgeable in handling these situations.
