A large black bear caused a commotion in a northwest Washington, DC, neighborhood on Friday morning after climbing two trees.
The bear was seen early in the morning high up in a tree in the 1300 block of Franklin Street in the Brookland area.
DC police along with Animal Care and Control personnel blocked the streets as they worked to get the bear safely out of the area.
Workers from the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources were also on site.
The bear started to climb down the tree around 9:30 am but was stopped briefly by loud sirens from one of the nearby vehicles, before climbing back into position and sitting down to watch the crowd.
WRC
The photos show the bear looking down from a thick branch. He stood up to readjust a few times before going to bed as reporters and neighbors chatted downstairs.
The bear made another attempt around 9:45 a.m., and this time he was not intimidated by the sirens.
The bear ran up the trunk of the tree, pausing briefly between two large branches to watch the large number of patrols and hear shouts from the crowd below. He then made his way back to the ground and ran off.
Just before 10 a.m., an MPD officer told the crowd that the bear was “loose” and it was unclear which way it had run. The same officer asked them to go home for safety.
Minutes later, the bear was seen in another tree across the block.
Authorities finally captured the bear at about 10:20 am using a tranquilizer.
The bear could be seen inside a Humane Rescue Alliance cage around 10:30 a.m. after it was tranquilized. A large crowd of reporters, cameramen, and neighborhood residents tried to catch a glimpse of the morning’s celebrity.
BEAR SIGHTINGS IN DC
Bears can be found in Maryland and Virginia, so the animals can be seen regularly in the suburbs.
A black bear was seen this week in Hyattsville. Earlier this spring, a Chevy Chase homeowner nearly petted a bear he mistook for a neighbor’s dog.
But it’s very rare to see a bear in DC. It’s unclear where the bear came from in northeast DC or what route it may have taken into the city.
In June, bears of all ages often move in search of new territories, food and mates, according to BearWise.
