Bear rescued from Washington Park dies in PA crash

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The bear caught sleeping in a tree in Washington Park last June trekked roughly 140 miles from his release site in the Catskills and died in a car crash, according to a Facebook post from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The bear was killed on State Route 11, between Northumberland and Danville, on Dec. 26, 2022.

The bear was first seen wandering in the area of State Street and Sprague Place, in Albany, around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Police closed a section of State Street at about 9:30 a.m. after he was spotted snoozing in a tree.

DEC police removed the bear around 1:40 p.m. They chemically immobilized the animal and pulled him down from the tree using safety nets.

Environmental conservation officials medically evaluated the bear and found him to be in good health. The next day, June 1, he was released into the Catskills.

A scientist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission said long treks—like the one this bear took from the Catskills—are not uncommon. “In Pennsylvania, black bears can travel long distances to reach food sources,” they said. “These movements typically occur in the fall when food is most crucial and late spring when yearling bears are dispersing from their family groups.”