PARK CITY \u2014 A bear was tranquilized and relocated after wandering into a Park City neighborhood early Thursday, state wildlife officials say.<\/p>\n
About 5:30 a.m., Park City dispatch received a report from a Park City resident who said they saw a black bear climb a tree in a neighborhood near Prospector Park.<\/p>\n
Utah Department of Natural Resources law enforcement and state wildlife biologists responded to the scene, where they located the bear in a large, thick conifer tree later in the morning. State conservation officers and Park City police blocked off the area, while biologists attempted to scare off the bear.<\/p>\n
Biologists deployed drones to haze the bear from the tree, but the attempt was unsuccessful, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Park City firefighters brought in a ladder truck, where a long pole was used to nudge out the bear. When that didn’t work, biologists climbed up the truck ladder to shoot a tranquilizer dart at it.<\/p>\n
After it was sedated, firefighters used a stretcher board and a tarp to secure the bear and bring it down the ladder. Biologists conducted a quick physical exam on the bear, which was determined to be a young male. <\/p>\n
They attached an ear tag to the bear and released it in a “more suitable wildlife habitat where it is less likely to cause conflicts with the public,” said Michael Packer, a conservation outreach manager for the division.<\/p>\n
Park City firefighters use a ladder to reach a black bear that climbed a tree in Park City on Thursday. The bear was tranquilized and removed from the tree. (Photo: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)<\/p>\n
Park City’s wildland-urban interface may have contributed to Thursday’s bear incident, but state wildlife biologists believe more bear conflicts are possible this year due to the state’s drought conditions. Over 90% of the state remains in severe, extreme or exceptional drought, which could affect the plants and vegetation that black bears rely mostly on.<\/p>\n
Thus, many could wander into campgrounds and communities looking for alternate food sources.<\/p>\n