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Sep 25, 2009 5:42 pm US/Central
Bear Spotted In North St. Paul Shot, Killed
NORTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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A bear climbed up into a tree in a residential area of North St. Paul on Friday, Sept. 25, 2009.
CBS
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A bear climbed up into a tree in a residential area of North St. Paul on Friday, Sept. 25, 2009.
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A bear spotted in a North St. Paul neighborhood climbed a tree, then was shot and killed after it tried to run away.
According to authorities, the bear was spotted walking around 9 a.m.
"We know just a black bear crossing the school yard and it really frightened us," said Linda Rivers.
Linda and Ernie Rivers were dropping their daughter off at Richardson Elementary School, which is located just south of 17th Avenue East between 1st and 2nd Streets North, when they saw the bear.
They said it was walking between houses.
"We were driving in the car tracking it as (we were) calling it into 911," said Ernie Rivers. "If it was on its two hind feet it was probably about 6 foot."
When rescue crews showed up, the bear ran into a big tree.
Works from the Department of Natural Resources shot a beanbag device at the bear to try and get it to come down. After a few hours, it descended.
Neighbors watched as it crept down the tree and when it tried to run off, the DNR shot and killed it.
"It's kinda sad that they had to shoot him," said one neighborhood resident.
The North St. Paul Police Chief explained why a tranquilizer gun was not used on the bear.
"We had all we could do just to keep the people back from the bear," said Chief Tom Lauth. "Prefect world if ... we had the availability to handle a bear like that, to tranquilize it, then sure."
The DNR's tranquilizer guns are kept in one central location because of the drug's sensitivity to hot and cold weather. Only three metro officers are trained to use them.
The DNR said it gave the bear meat to a family in need.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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