A young black bear that had apparently overdone it on wandering time ended up "zonked out" and stuck in a tree over Crooked Arrow Lane in Colorado Springs on Tuesday night, kicking off a careful, late-night rescue and a one-way ride out of town.
Firefighters with the Colorado Springs Fire Department teamed up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers to get the bear down safely. Crews tranquilized the animal, secured it with ropes, and used a ladder to lower it from the branches before handing it over to Parks and Wildlife. The bear was tagged and taken off for relocation the next morning, with authorities describing it as healthy, if very sleepy.
According to the Denver Gazette, Colorado Parks and Wildlife first called CSFD to assist, and the department later shared photos and details on social media, saying the bear was "zonked out in a tree and stuck." Crews noted the animal was "healthy but a little sleepy" as they wrapped up at the scene.
How Crews Got The Bear Out Of The Tree
Wildlife officers found the bear around 7 p.m., tranquilized it, and discovered it was wedged awkwardly among the branches before calling firefighters to help with the extraction, Colorado Springs Gazette reports.
A wildlife officer climbed a ladder to reach the groggy bear, securing it in place so crews could lower it with ropes. The animal then spent the night in a Colorado Parks and Wildlife vehicle. By morning, it was on the road again, this time headed roughly two hours southwest to be released back into the wild, according to the Gazette.
Why Bears Keep Wandering Into Colorado Springs
As winter food supplies thin out in the woods, young and curious bears start cruising for easy calories in lower-elevation neighborhoods.
"When they can’t find food out in the woods, they will be opportunistic and look for food in town as well," Tim Kroening, CPW’s area wildlife manager for the Colorado Springs region, told the Colorado Springs Gazette. The paper reports that wildlife officials have been fielding multiple calls as bears nose around at the edge of town this spring.
What Officials Want Residents To Do
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is urging residents to cut off the free buffet. That means removing attractants like unsecured trash, pet food, and bird seed, never approaching or feeding bears, and keeping dogs leashed, per CPW’s Living With Bears guidance.
Officials also recommend snapping photos only from a safe distance and calling local wildlife officers so they can track animals before a casual visit turns into a problem.
The Crooked Arrow Lane rescue followed several days of bear sightings in the area, a reminder of how quickly a curious young bruin can wander straight into a neighborhood and why agencies keep asking residents to report encounters. As KOAA noted, the bear was taken to a safe spot for relocation the next morning.
