Wandering bear safely captured in Bucks County

Bob Brooks Image
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Bear captured in Bucks County
Bear captured in Bucks County. Jim Gardner reports during Action News at 11 p.m. on June 5, 2017.

FEASTERVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) -- A bear that wandered through Bucks County neighborhoods and spent time high up in a tree has been captured.

The bear was safely captured Monday night by the Pennsylvania Game Commission near the Somerton Springs Swim Club in Feasterville.

He had been sleeping in a tree for most of the day.

Action News viewer Bill Entriken captured the moment when wildlife officers tranquilized the 1.5-year-old male.

They estimated the bear's weight at 150 pounds.

The plan is to take the animal to another part of the state and release him back in the wild.

Bear sighting in Feasterville. Bob Brooks reports during Action News at 6 p.m. on June 5, 2017.

Earlier, officials were just waiting for the bear to wake up.

"The plan is to let him climb down, I'll dart him and he'll fall asleep hopefully, and we'll get him out of here," Officer Shawn Burkett of the Pennsylvania Game Commission said.

On Sunday night, the Game Commission fired at the bear with a tranquilizer near the intersection of Street Road and Bustleton Avenue, but it wasn't enough to knock him out. He moved on to the tree in Feasterville.

Officials say the public was safe from the bear.

"They don't want anything to do with us. He just wants to find food. Right now, he's having a nap," Burkett said as the bear slept in the tree.

Bear tranquilized, then fell asleep in tree in Bucks County. Walter Perez reports during Action News at 11 p.m. on June 4, 2017.

Earlier Monday, the bear almost came down from the tree, but climbed back up after spotting the Game Commission.

They fired blank shots at him, but he only climbed up higher.

A drone was sent up to get bird's eye view and that appeared to just wake him up.

Officials say this was the same bear that was seen in Doylestown earlier in the week.

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