Wellsville Bear - Allegany County
On July 5, ECOs Russ Calanni and Jason Powers and Lt. Don Pleakis and Division of Wildlife staff worked to safely remove a bear that had climbed a tree in a residential neighborhood in the village of Wellsville after being hit by a car. Although it was not seriously injured, the bear jumped a fence and took cover in a tree. It started to draw attention from the neighbors, and the decision was made to tranquilize the bear and remove it from the village. ECOs Calanni and Powers, members of DLE's Chemical Immobilization Team (CIT), darted the bear and safely removed it from the tree. The Wellsville Police Department stopped traffic along busy State Route 417 while the tranquilization and removal took place. After loading the bear into a trap, it was transported to Coyle Hill State Forest, where the bear was examined, tagged, monitored, and then released.If you witness an environmental crime or believe a violation of environmental law occurred please call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).
