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Orphan Bear Cub Darted In Colorado Springs After Approaching People

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -- Officers with Colorado Parks and Wildlife tranquilized an abandoned black bear cub that approached people in Colorado Springs on Wednesday.

The young bear was transported to a wildlife rehabilitation center 50 miles away. Wildlife officials plan to release it into the wild later this year.

Colo Sprgs Abandoned Cub 2 (CPW SE Region tweet)
(credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife/Twitter)

According to CPW, the cub ran from officers Phil Gurule, Corey Adler and Cassidy English when they first attempted to catch it. The cub climbed a tree and scrambled from limb to limb out of their reach.

Colo Sprgs Abandoned Cub 3 (CPW SE Region tweet)
(credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife/Twitter)

Gurule used his dart gun to tranquilize the cub, which fell dramatically from the tree to the officers waiting below.

Colo Sprgs Abandoned Cub 4 (CPW SE Region tweet)
(credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife/Twitter)

For the next few months, the cub is calling Wet Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation home. The cub will be raised to a healthy weight at the non-profit facility and, if all goes as planned, placed in a man-made winter den.

Colo Sprgs Abandoned Cub 5 (CPW SE Region tweet)
(credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife/Twitter)

"It will awake a wild bear next spring," CPW stated via Twitter on Saturday.

Colo Sprgs Abandoned Cub 6 (CPW SE Region tweet)
(credit: Colorado Parks & Wildlife/Twitter)

He will sport a new ear tag as a memento of his in-town adventure.

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