A black bear in downtown Danbury attracted a lot of attention Tuesday morning. A motorist driving along Wooster Street saw the bear cub crossing the road and climb up a tree behind the Bishop Curtis Homes.
The motorist called police, who alerted the fire department, about the bear just off of Main Street. Assistant Fire Chief Charlie Slagle says the call came in just after 7am and by 9:30 the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was on the scene.
(Photo courtesy: Mayor Boughton)
A crowd had gathered and there were school children nearby so when the bear started to come down from the tree on its own, a DEEP responder shot the bear with a beanbag.
It took two shots from the tranquilizer before the bear went to sleep and fell into the waiting net below.
DEEP spokesman Dwayne Gardner says the male bear, weighing about 240 pounds, did not have ear tags which means they have not had contact with the male bear before. DEEP put an ear tag on the bear so it can be tracked if there are future sightings. Based on weight, he estimated that the bear is about 4 years old, but could be anywhere from 3 to 5 years old.
(Photo courtesy: Mayor Boughton)
Children at the nearby St. Peters School were brought around to see the bear and learn a little about the animals. The bear was then loaded into a van and examined.
The bear will be released into a state forest.
