Black bear tranquilized in downtown Camden | News

CAMDEN, SC (WIS)- A black bear seen roaming the streets of Camden has been captured.

Several people reported seeing the bear walking around town near Lyttleton and York Streets on Sunday.

According to Camden police, a dog chased the 250 pound bear up a magnolia tree on Lyttleton Street. It stayed there for several hours until officials with the Department of Natural Resources showed up.

They were able to tranquilize the bear by shooting it with a dart around 1 a.m. It fell to the ground about 10 minutes after being shot.

DNR took the bear into custody and relocated in a rural area.

Police officers do not ever remember a bear sighting in Camden.

According to DNR, bears have been spotted in 45 of 46 counties (Bamberg County has no confirmed sightings). If you see a bear and would like to report a sighting, click here. Sightings are recorded and used to aid in black bear management.

The mere presence of a black bear does not necessarily represent a problem, according to DNR officials. Most are just passing through, but if there is an easy meal to be found, they will take advantage of it. The key to dealing with wandering bears is not giving them a reason to hang around. Removing anything that would attract bears from your residence will greatly reduce any bear issues.

DNR offers these suggestions to cope with bears:

• No feeding: A bear that becomes accustomed to having food provided is an accident waiting to happen; don't feed a bear the first time and it will likely leave the area soon.
• No garbage: Keep garbage in tightly shut or bear-proof trash cans; garbage left in the open, in an open dumpster, or in the back of a truck is an open invitation for a bear.
• Pet food storage: Store pet food properly if kept outside; put pet food in airtight storage containers and don't leave leftover food out in the open.
• Clean grills: Keep charcoal and gas grills covered and clean to keep food odors from attracting bears.
• Bird feed & feeders: If a bear starts getting into your bird feeders - and they will if given the chance - take them down and put them away for a while; the bear will move on quickly. Or install the feeder on a rope or cable so it can be raised and lowered.
• Beehives: If you're going to have beehives in bear territory, protect your investment with an electric, bear-proof fence.

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