The bear was put in a transport trailer with ice to help it regulate its body temperature (right) before being tagged and released in a "more suitable" area in Upstate New York (left), DEC officials said. 

By Ben Crnic From Daily Voice

A black bear wandering through a busy neighborhood in Westchester County was safely tranquilized and relocated after a multi-agency response involving state and local officers. 

The incident happened last month on Sunday, Oct. 5, when Pleasantville Police received several calls about a bear roaming through a densely populated area near the Saw Mill River Parkway, prompting officers to contact DEC Environmental Conservation Officer Plows for help, DEC officials said. 

ECO Plows arrived and tried several methods to encourage the bear to return to the woods, but the animal refused to leave. Soon after, more ECOs arrived, equipped with gear to safely capture and transport the bear. 

The situation escalated when the bear climbed a tree near the parkway, drawing the attention of police and passing drivers. A Westchester County wildlife contractor tranquilized the bear, but the animal managed to climb down and run into a nearby swamp, seemingly unaffected by the first dart. 

Officers from the DEC, Westchester County Police, and Pleasantville Police then tracked the bear through the swamp and successfully sedated it a second time. Once the tranquilizer took effect, the team carefully prepared the animal for transport and carried it to a trailer for relocation. 

Within hours of the first call, the bear was released into a remote area of upstate New York — healthy and unharmed.