CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — A 300-pound bear who had been hanging out in a tree in the backyard of a Castle Rock home since Wednesday morning was tranquilized and is being relocated, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).
Since Castle Rock is in bear habitat, wildlife officers hoped that the bear would leave the tree and yard on its own but that didn't happen, according to CPW spokesperson Jason Clay.
He said at one point, the homeowner reported that the bear had come down from the tree and was roaming the backyard. Eventually, the homeowner's dogs scared the bear and it retreated back into the tree, he said.
Thursday morning, the homeowner reached out to CPW again and since the bear had been there so long, wildlife officers made the decision to tranquilize the bear and move it to a new location.
>The video above aired in 2018 and is about being bear aware.
The male bear, which appears to be healthy and weighed roughly 300 pounds, Clay said it took six people to carry the bear from the backyard of the home to a cage out front. They're now in the process of moving it to a new home. It was sprayed down with water during the transport to keep it cool.
It will get an ear tag. CPW has a “two-strike” policy under which bears may be tranquilized, ear tagged, and relocated once if they are in an inappropriate location.
If a bear that has been tagged and relocated is physically dealt with again (tranquilized or trapped due to inappropriate location or nuisance behavior), the bear is put down. Bears that pose a public safety risk will be put down regardless of whether they have ear tags or not, according to CPW policy.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Animals and Wildlife