Bear in Richmond's Oregon Hill has been captured
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Teenagers, am I right? Photo: Courtesy of VCU PD
A black bear spent Thursday morning roaming the streets and backyards of Oregon Hill before being tranquilized and put in a truck by lunchtime.
Why it matters: Few things unite Richmonders like tracking an animal on the loose.
State of play: Residents began following the bear's escapades Wednesday afternoon, when he was spotted running across the downtown expressway.
- The furry tourist then moseyed through the Maymont neighborhood before somehow ending up behind the Pine Street Baptist Church in Oregon Hill, about 2 miles away, per Facebook posts.
- While on a run, Fan resident Romain Lheritier saw the bear later Thursday morning on Laurel and Albemarle streets.
- "I tried to hug him, but he wouldn't get off the tree," Lheritier joked to Axios.
Zoom in: The Department of Wildlife Resources and other authorities then captured the roughly 100-pound bear shortly before noon, reported the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
- DWR released him into one of its wildlife management areas before 5pm Thursday after finding the bear in good health, agency spokesperson Shelby Crouch told Axios.
Fun fact: Earlier Thursday, the person in charge of the tranquilizing was nearly an hour away, in Emporia, per RTD.
- But Crouch said that a combo of Richmond Fire staff and officers with DWR, animal control and VCU PD secured the scene while awaiting the biologist's arrival.
Zoom out: It's the city's first bear sighting of the season, Richmond Animal Care and Control director Christie Chipps Peters told Axios — and it likely won't be the last.
- DWR notes that spring is an especially busy time for black bears as they emerge from hibernation.
- So bears regularly find their way into the city this time of year.
What's next: If you spot a bear, you can call DWR's Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 1-855-571-9003.