A black bear that charged a motorcycle officer in Radnor last month — and temporarily caused two nearby schools to lockdown — has been trapped and relocated from Ridley Creek State Park.
Park rangers in Delaware County lured the bear with donuts, maple syrup and honey, and transported him to a new home on state game lands in Dauphin County, the Delaware County Times reported Monday.
Justin T. Ritter, the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Wildlife Conservation Officer for Delaware County, told the newspaper the bear was moved for its own “safety and well-being” after the close encounters in residential areas. Most recently, the newspaper reported, it knocked over a resident’s bee hives.
“We were afraid that the bear would soon start traveling out of the park to find other food sources or a mate,” Ritter said. “We did not want the bear to get hit by a vehicle.”
Ritter and other state officials could not be reached for comment Monday night.
The bear generated headlines last month after it charged at Radnor Police Lt. Christopher Flanagan.
Ithan Elementary School and the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur declared lockdowns after the Radnor incident, which occurred when Flanagan was patrolling the area in response to a bear sighting. Flanagan said he had to abandon his motorcycle while fleeing, but was not injured.
Officials estimate the bear is a 3-year-old male weighing 210 pounds.
News of the bear's capture apparently had not yet reached Twitter, where a satirist has been running a fake account in the bear's name. As of Monday night, the @RadnorBear's biography still read: “Will someone please help me get back to the woods?”
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