2 bears tranquilized after climbing from tree to tree in Amesbury

AMESBURY, MASS. (WHDH) - A mother bear and her cub caused a spectacle in Amesbury late Tuesday morning as they climbed from tree to tree.

Firefighters responding to the area of Elm Street at Atlantic Avenue around 10 a.m. found a 150-pound black bear and a cub that had climbed a tree.

The bears had been in the tree for close to a half hour before they decided to climb down as people looked on with phones in their hands.

They quickly scurried up the second tree.

Firefighters used a ladder truck and worked with officials from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to tranquilize both bears around noon.

The bears were captured after safely tumbling into a net below. They were tagged and released in a safe location.

“We are pleased that today’s situation played out in a safe and efficient manner with no harm coming to bears or people alike,” Chief Kenneth Berkenbush said. “We should always be mindful that we share the land with many varieties of wildlife, and I encourage all residents to do what they can to ensure peaceful coexistence with nature.”

If a resident sees a bear they are urged to do the following:

• Leave the bear alone. Do not approach, feed, interact with, or in any way engage with a bear.
• Do not try to follow or track the bear.
• Do not attempt to take your picture near the bear

Black bears are numerous in New England, and their population is on the rise in eastern Massachusetts.

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