Aurora Police Tranquilize And Tag Bear After Chasing It Up A Tree
Posted June 3, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a bizarre call for officers in Aurora Wednesday morning.
It wasn’t a burglar or a bandit – it was a bear that brought police out to the Yonge St. and Wellington St. area around 6am on Wednesday.
“What happened this morning was that a citizen called in and said they saw a bear in their backyard,” explained Inspector Bruce West.
“Various officers were deployed and we tried to contain it as best we can. One of the officers actually chased it towards a tree. That’s where we sit right now,” he said at the time.
Residents had mixed emotions about their unexpected visitor. “Not much happens in Aurora so this is pretty exciting,” commented one neighbour, as she watches the 225 lbs. black bear from below.
“How would I get it down?” asks another rhetorically. “I don’t know! They’re going to have to do something – a tranquillizer or something and have something on the bottom. I don’t know.”
But fortunately Ministry experts did.
Agents eventually arrived and tranquilized the animal. Initially it ran even further up the tree, but eventually the shot began to take effect and it fell from a branch onto a padded area officers prepared.
It has since been tagged, and will be relocated.
You may not be used to having a black bear running around your area, but experts say wildlife meeting city life is becoming an increasingly common experience as the GTA expands outward and people compete with the animals for space. They also find food sources here, another factor that keeps them coming back.
Foxes, wolves and raccoons are not uncommon in parts of the GTA. And a recent coyote attack on a dog in the Beach made headlines in the city.
Officials say bears wander into residential areas at least once or twice a year
What to do if you see a bear in your neighbourhood:
Lower image credit: CityNews viewers Frank and Donna Pignataro
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