Police rescue bear from tree with inflatable toy, creativity

(CBS/AP) CONWAY, Ark. - When hunting for bear in an urban setting, consider using an item you might not have previously considered: a big, inflatable bouncy house - the kind you might find at a children's party.

That's what police turned to recently in the central Arkansas city of Conway, when they needed a black bear to disembark from a tree.

Conway Police spokeswoman La Tresha Woodruff says the bear was straddling a branch and wouldn't budge. So, officials shot the animal with tranquilizer darts late Monday, causing him to fall asleep.

Next step, they inflated two of those bouncy houses beneath the tree. Then - firefighters let loose with water from a fire hose, knocking the bear from his perch.

The bear, whom officials cleverly named Foster for the street where he took up residence, wasn't hurt when he fell onto the edge of the inflatable houses.

Wildlife officials plan to release Foster back into his natural habitat.

He's going to miss those inflatable bouncy houses.