A bear that wandered into a southern Arizona neighborhood ended up in a tree, then in a blue tarp, then on its way out of town in the hands of wildlife officials. Arizona Game and Fish Department officers tranquilized the animal in the branches and waited for it to come down. Several officers and police personnel below caught it.
According to the Sahuarita Police Department, the bear was found in the Rancho Sahuarita neighborhood about 20 miles south of Tucson. The department worked with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, which handled the tranquilization and the bear’s eventual relocation. Everything took place, however, on a residential street.
Video shared by the police department shows officers and wildlife personnel standing on the sidewalk under the tree, holding open a large blue tarp. The bear was high in the canopy, partly hidden in the branches. When the tranquilizer took effect, gravity did the rest and the tarp acted as a large safety net.
The animal dropped through the limbs and into the center of the tarp, pulling the fabric down as the people holding it absorbed the impact. It landed hard, rolled slightly, and finally stayed put. As the camera zoomed out, it became apparent about how large the bear actually was.
What Police and Wildlife Officials Did
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The Sahuarita Police Department said in a social-media post that the bear had been located in the Rancho Sahuarita neighborhood and that the Arizona Game and Fish Department safely tranquilized and relocated it. Officers and wildlife personnel gathered beneath the tree on the residential street, watching the bear in the canopy while others spread out a large blue tarp below as a catch surface. The plan was to wait for the tranquilizer to take effect, then ease the animal down rather than try to bring it out of the tree directly.
In the clip, the bear starts out partly hidden in the branches above. After several seconds of waiting, the animal suddenly drops through the limbs and into the center of the blue tarp. The bear lands hard, and then officers and wildlife personnel step back to assess. It’s understandably groggy, but finally safe from being caught in the tree.
Why a Bear Was in the Neighborhood
KOLD reported that the bear was spotted napping in a tree in Rancho Sahuarita on June 2 after a 911 caller said it had earlier been seen in the Green Valley area. Arizona’s Family reported that the Sahuarita Police Department and Arizona Game and Fish worked together to get the animal down following several bear sightings in the area.
KOLD said the encounter was at least the fourth bear sighting in southern Arizona that week, and that Arizona Game and Fish believed the bear seen in Sahuarita and Green Valley on Tuesday was the same animal that had been spotted near Interstate 19 and Continental Road on Sunday.
According to KOLD, Arizona wildlife officials have warned that bear sightings in southern Arizona can become more common during periods of heat and drought, as bears move in search of food and water. The agency has asked anyone who sees a bear to call 623-236-7201.