COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Authorities have freed a bear that got caught in a storm drain for about an hour.
Colorado Springs Utilities workers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region workers arrived to the residential neighborhood Thursday to work out a strategy to get the bruin out. They didn't want to handle it because they would have to tag it and it would be euthanized if tagged again.
Wildlife officials harassed the bear by firing a nonlethal rubber slug while utility workers opened a manhole . The bear, estimated to be about 250 pounds, climbed out and was chased away.
With no obvious exit available, @CSUtilities is responding to open a manhole cover above the Barre in hopes it will climb out. Then @COParksWildlife officers will haze the bear in hopes of scaring it away from this neighborhood and back into the forest. pic.twitter.com/qoUoSH7ZYC
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) July 26, 2018
About 6 minutes after the manhole cover was removed, out came the bear, estimated to be 3 to 4 years old and about 250 lb. An @COParksWildlife officer fired a non-lethal rubber slug at the bear as officers chased it into an open space behind this #ColoradoSprings neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/F4f6FEcFI9
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) July 26, 2018
