The North Greenbush bear lands, softly
All this attention? For me?
After spending most of Wednesday hanging out in a tree, the North Greenbush bear finally came down shortly after 4 pm. It wasn't by choice -- he had been hit with a tranquilizer dart -- but it was a soft landing, apparently.
"This guy went down pretty good," said NYS DEC police lieutenant Jim Hays shortly after the landing. Hays said the bear appeared to hit the ground softly while zonked on tranquilizers. "They're like a big bowl of jello when they land."
The black bear had climbed a a large tree in the front yard of a house on Meadow Dr, just across Williams Road from the North Greenbush Town Park. DEC had originally planned to let the bear come down on his own. But after he seemed content to sit in the tree for hours, DEC decided it was time to move things along.
Hays said they were worried about the situation becoming a public safety issue. Williams Road was filling with rush hour traffic. A large crowd of media and onlookers had gathered just on the other side of road. And Hays said people had started to circle around the scene for a better look, cutting off potential escape routes for the bear.
This most recent bear is the third one captured in the the core Capital Region in the last couple of weeks -- the other two were in Albany and Schenectady. There was also a bear
"We need to learn how to live with them," Hays said, describing Albany and Rensselaer counties as bear country. "They're not going to go away."
As with the other recently captured bears, DEC will keep the North Greenbush bear overnight for observation. If he checks out OK, Hays says they'll take him some place more bear appropriate and release him.
There are a bunch of photos from today's scene after the jump.
The photos are in large-format above -- scroll all the way up.
Earlier on AOA:
+ New York State's 2011 bear "harvest"
+ Don't feed the bears
+ Foxes and fishers and bears, oh my!
Find It
North Greenbush bear captured
Williams Road and Meadow Drive
North Greenbush, NY 12180
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Comments
I like your photos of onlookers photographing the TV broadcasters. We're all media, now.
... said Bob on May 16, 2012 at 6:46 PM | link
There's a bear in your neighborhood and your response is to practically ask it to hold your baby for this photo opportunity? It's a wild animal. Call DEC and go home.
... said Jess on May 16, 2012 at 9:07 PM | link
How come the DEC isn't putting down any kind of cushion for the bears? Not to sound like a hippie, but seems like other states use inflatable mattress's when they tranq animals out of trees? Did that get cut out of the DEC budget?
... said Friend_of_Bear on May 17, 2012 at 10:28 AM | link
For Friend_of_Bear:
"This guy went down pretty good," said NYS DEC police lieutenant Jim Hays shortly after the landing. Hays said the bear appeared to hit the ground softly while zonked on tranquilizers. "They're like a big bowl of jello when they land."
Apparently black bears are made of jello. Who knew?
... said jamband on May 17, 2012 at 12:27 PM | link
I agree with Friend_of_Bear! Heck they could even grab some old matresses from the side of the road. Scotia is having it's annual "We'll take any trash you have" day. I've seen at least 5 mattresses.
... said Chrissy on May 17, 2012 at 1:09 PM | link