We have black bears here in the Sacramento mountains, but they're rarely seen, of course.
About 15 years ago, while living in the little town of Pecos, Texas, a black bear sauntered into the edge of town from the Davis Mountains. Some people saw it, called the City's animal control department, and then a small crowd scared the thing up a telephone pole. There it was, clinging to a transformer can, all the way up at the top.
Now, you might think the best thing to do would be to ask everyone to leave and back way away so the animal would come down. Then you could dart it and haul it back closer to whence it came. Nahhh. That's no good.
These folks decided they needed to dart the bear right where it was. I guess the foresight stopped at..."well, the bear will go to sleep". Just a little more thought was needed.
The bear scampered higher when shot. After a bit, it began to lose it's grip on the pole. It decided to start down but the medication was already taking its toll. The bear slid, then tumbled, from the bottom of the transformer can to the ground, landing on its shoulders and neck. This bear died either later that day or the next.
I wasn;t there to witness this "humane rescue", but one of the police officers was a good buddy and hunting companion of mine. All I'd heard was that a bear had come into the edge of town and animal control had to dart it. That evening he told me the rest of the story.
These well-intended townfolk were the same ones who, during one of the harshest winters in years, January 1997, forgot to lock the giraffes (2 of them) in their extra-tall little barn at the zoo. Two frozen-to-death African animals resulted. But, sorry, that's not a bear story.
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DON'T BE SCARED
-Stretch