Posted: May 2, 2012 6:17 AM by Associated Press
Updated: May 2, 2012 6:19 AM
SEYMOUR (AP) - The black bear that spent much of Tuesday in a tree in a southwest Missouri town apparently has gone back to the woods where he belongs.
The bear, which looked to be about 250 pounds, created quite a stir in Seymour after climbing into the tree early Tuesday and hunkering down. He stayed in the tree while several hundred people came by to see him as conservation officials worked to lure the animal back to the ground.
Officials set up a large trap baited with food and water. But when the bear finally came out of the tree about nightfall, it ignored the trap and made a beeline for the nearby woods.
Jerry Austin of the Missouri Department of Conservation called it "the best possible ending" to the bear's adventure.