sleepy bear plunged to the ground after clambering 30ft up a tree in a Michigan town – but thankfully mattresses were in place to soften the fall.
The 160kg black bear was relocated in a dramatic operation which captivated residents of Traverse City on Sunday.
The drama started when wildlife experts responded to a morning call about a bear in a leafy tree and fired at least four tranquilizer darts into its behind.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Biologist Steve Griffith prepares to fire a tranquilizer dart into the black bear
/ APThe bear snoozed on a thick limb before finally dropping to the ground by early afternoon.
Spectators sitting on lawns or in chairs held their phones up to take pictures and video.
“They’re a tough animal,” said Steve Griffith, a state wildlife biologist. “Obviously they are in trees all the time, and they do have accidents in the wild. … They can take a pretty good fall.”
The bear was transferred to a cylindrical bear trap after his vital signs and airway were checked.
It faced a long drive to be released in a wooded area, “probably 50-60 miles at minimum,” Mr Griffith said.