Video shows "law-abiding" bear looking both ways, using crosswalk in downtown Asheville, North Carolina
Video posted by police showed a smarter-than-average bear taking a tourist jaunt through downtown Asheville - even taking care to use crosswalks at intersections - before police guided it back to nature.
Asheville Police say the call they received Thursday about a bear milling through downtown is the third such call they've received in the last three weeks.
APD officers responded to an unusual call Thursday afternoon of a bear milling around downtown and then eventually climbing a tree in the Pritchard Park area. The black bear, wearing a Wildlife enforcement tracking collar, seemed to want a day in the park, where lots of people were enjoying their day downtown. Officers wanted to help get the bear safely out of the area by helping give the bear space to mosey along. At one point the bear even crossed the street by using the crosswalk. Although officers appreciated the law-abiding bear, it was important to get the bear back to a wooded area for safety. This is the third incident APD officers have assisted in getting bears out of the downtown area in the past three weeks. Always be aware of your surroundings. We recommend following the recommendations listed on bearwise.org. (Courtesy video below)
Posted by Asheville Police Department on Friday, April 22, 2022
"Officers wanted to help get the bear safely out of the area by helping give the bear space to mosey along," the police department wrote.
Video posted by the police department on their Facebook page Friday shows the bear waiting at a crosswalk and looking both ways before crossing the intersection.
"Although officers appreciated the law-abiding bear, it was important to get the bear back to a wooded area for safety," the police wrote on Facebook.
In another clip, the bear can be seen "climbing a tree in the Pritchard Park area."
Officers guided the bear, which was wearing a tracking collar, back into a wooded area.
According to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, black bears in the state reached very low population levels in the mid-1900s. Today, black bears are found in approximately 60% of the total land area of North Carolina.
"The black bear is a very shy, non-aggressive animal that avoids humans in most cases," the commission wrote. "Occasionally, bears wander into developed areas in search of food. "