May 3 (UPI) — Authorities in Michigan were working Thursday to capture a black bear that wandered into a city and climbed a tree in a residential neighborhood.
Grand Rapids Police said the bear was first reported about 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the Dayton Street SE area and officers responded along with Michigan State Police.
Kent County Animal Control, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and zookeepers from the John Ball Zoo were summoned to the scene to attempt to capture and relocate the bear.
A spokesman for the John Ball Zoo confirmed the bear is wild, not an escaped zoo animal.
“The west side of GR has a furry visitor asleep in a tree near Deloney and Dayton,” police tweeted. “This medium sized wild bear will soon be in the safe hands of the DNR who are on scene.”
Officials said they are trying to tranquilize the bear before it climbs down from the tree, as it may take off running if it gets spooked.