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250-Pound Bear Rescued From Storm Drain

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -- Rescuing a 250-pound bear from a storm sewer is not an easy task, but that's what wildlife officers were called to do on Thursday in Colorado Springs.

The fact that it was raining didn't help.

"[Colorado Parks and Wildlife] officers are a trying to avoid handling the bear. Once it's handled, it gets an ear tag. That's one strike against it. If it was ever handled again it would have to be euthanized," officials explained.

bear in storm drain
(credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region)

"With no obvious exit available, [Colorado Springs Utilities] is responding to open a manhole cover above the Barre in hopes it will climb out," CPW officials tweeted. Then [CPW] officers will haze the bear in hopes of scaring it away from this neighborhood and back into the forest."

An employee with the utilities company popped the sewer hole and CPW officers stood by with nonlethal rubber slugs in a shotgun.

bear in sewer
(credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region)

"After few minutes, the bear poked its head out and began looking for an Escape Route," officials tweeted. "Meanwhile, residents of this senior community stayed locked in their houses waiting for word from [CPW] officers."

bear in manhole
(credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region)

The bear came out about six minutes later.

"By hazing this bear with non-lethal rubber slugs, [CPW] gave this bear an extra lease on life. If it had been handled and tagged, that would have counted as a strike against the bear. Next time it was handled, it would have had to be euthanized," officials tweeted.

less lethal
(credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region)

Officials believe the bear may have been attracted to the area by trash and berries in an open garbage receptacle nearby.

Another bear was spotted jumping over fences in Parker on Thursday. The bear then went back into the gulch near Cherry Creek Trail.

parker bear copy
(credit: Parker Police)
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