The young bear that has been sighted in backyards and fields around Shelton since late April was captured Thursday and was scheduled to be released back into the wild.
Sgt. Jeff Samorajczyk, of the state’s Environmental Conservation Police, said the bear was tranquilized with a dart gun and was taken to a state forest in Newtown.
The bear was seen at about 5:15 p.m. along heavily populated Coram Avenue, not far from the downtown business district.
Shelton police Lt. David Moore said cops received numerous telephone calls around that time from residents reporting that the bear was in their yards or on their front porches.
Residents Dovid Patrick and John Verderame said they spotted the bear across the street from their homes.
A number of residents surrounded and tried to contain it until police could arrive, but the bear slipped past them and headed through backyards toward Huntington Avenue, a short residential roadway not to be confused with Huntington Street.
Shelton Trails & Conservation, a Facebook group from the city’s Conservation Commission, posted a status Thursday evening asking residents to steer clear of the bear out of concern for the animal’s welfare.
The bear emerged on Huntington Avenue and headed across Myrtle Street and down Prospect Street, where it was finally cornered by several Shelton police officers.
The bear then climbed a tree. Police cordoned off the block to keep it separated from a large number of onlookers who came to watch the spectacle.
Some residents said the bear growled at them, but it appeared to be frightened, not menacing. The incident occupied four Shelton officers and three DEEP officers before it was over.
The frightened bear attempted to climb down several times, but was scared back up the tree while police waited for Sgt. Samorajczyk to arrive and supervise the bear’s removal.
Just before 7 p.m., the bear shimmied down from its perch and headed through backyards toward Kneen Street.
Officers were able to drive it up another tree where they shot it with a tranquilizer dart and removed it to the state forest. By that time it was dusk.
“We’re going to take it to the most suitable habitat with the time we have,” said Sgt. Samorajczyk.
