Bear released from coyote trap

On Oct. 29, Mary Grose, an environmental conservation officer with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), received a complaint of a bear in a foothold trap in the Neversink Unique Area in the town of Mamakating, N.Y. A trapper was checking his traps when he was surprised to find a bear caught in one of them. The trapper had been targeting coyotes and had set the traps the day before. When Grose arrived on scene, she found that the bear would need to be tranquilized in order to be safely removed. With the assistance of DEC wildlife staff, the bear was tranquilized and evaluated before being released. The male bear was estimated to be two years old and about 140 pounds. Upon release, the bear ran into the woods seemingly in good health. Pictured is the tranquilized bear evaluated by wildlife staff. (Photo provided)