In an unexpected turn of events in Denver on Sunday, a young black bear found itself taking a rough fall from a tree. This tumbles occurred after wildlife officers tranquilized the bear in an effort to safely relocate it to a more appropriate natural environment.
The incident unfolded near Louisiana Avenue and Pennsylvania Street, as reported by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) in a social media update posted on platform X.
“This morning we responded to a bear in a tree … in Denver,” CPW shared, emphasizing the unusual nature of the location with, “Not a typo. In Denver.”
To prevent any harm, wildlife officers tranquilized the bear and collaborated with Denver Police Department officers to safely catch the bear during its descent from the tree, according to the CPW.
Although the bear’s landing was far from graceful, authorities assured that the animal is unharmed and “doing okay.”
Video posted as part of the X thread showed the bear dropping through branches before officers secured the animal on the ground.
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.
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.