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Bear Caught In Baltimore Co. Returns To Mountains

ARBUTUS/HALETHORPE, Md. (WJZ) ― After weeks of wandering, the black bear spotted in Arbutus/Halethorpe in Baltimore County is back in the mountains.

Alex DeMetrick reports the bear was literally in the shadow of the Beltway when apples and a well-placed dart ended its journey.

The bear was bagged Wednesday night, not far from where it had been spotted before.

It was close enough to the Arbutus neighborhood that people photographed it from their back doors, triggering preparations by DNR biologists.

It turned out to be a 140-pound male, likely under two-years-old.

It was spotted eating from a backyard apple tree, and police and neighbors gave it plenty of room until that dart could be fired.

"Normally these animals don't give us an opportunity to get this close to them, let alone lay down in a pile of apples and wait for us to deliver a dart to its rear," said Paul Peditto, DNR Wildlife Director.

The bear bolted into a nearby stream-bed and passed out. He was given ear tags and injected with a separate microscopic tag before being transported to state land in western Maryland.

Sometimes during those releases, like earlier ones in California, shots are fired to hurry the bear along.

DNR said this bear needed no such encouragement and took off on its own.

And for bears that age, life alone is normal as is wandering, but not usually so far from rural areas.

The bear was last photographed heading away from people.

DNR biologists believe the bear followed the Potomac River down out of the mountains, and instead of making a U-turn to head home, took a left toward civilization.

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