Game Officials Using Doughnuts, Chocolate To Lure Elusive Black Bear Inside Trap After Roaming Through Wilmington
WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) -- Delaware and Pennsylvania game officials are using doughnuts and chocolate to lure an elusive black bear that was spotted roaming through the Trolley Square section of Wilmington on Thursday morning. It's believed to be the same one that's been spotted in recent days in Delaware County.
Game officials have been searching for "Delabear" for nearly a week as it has managed to escape authorities in two states so far. Delaware Fish and Wildlife report the 200-pound bear is currently in Alapocas State Park.
They are going to try to find it, and either fire more tranquilizer darts at it or hope it goes into the bear trap that's been set up.
Earlier on Thursday, the bear was seen in the area of Delaware and Pennsylvania Avenues and Lincoln and Rodney Streets.
Residents posted videos and photos on social media of the bear roaming through their backyards.
The bear has alarmed neighbors in Wilmington as the land of tax-free shopping has turned into a wild kingdom.
"There was a bear hopping around and then there was a cop and he said, 'Don't go out, stay in your house,'" Roberta Woloshin said.
Police asked residents to shelter-in-place for a short time this morning but lifted it after the bear left the area.
"I didn't expect to see a bear in the back," one neighbor said.
Officials fired a single tranquilizer dart at it as it was roaming several backyards, but it was no match for "Delabear."
"We did hit it with one dart. It was in the backyard of the Wilmington neighborhood. The bear was jumping over decks and stuff. The dart came out, so it didn't look like much got into the bear. It didn't get too lethargic," Pennsylvania Game Commission Warden Jerry Czech said.
Wilmington police, along with Delaware Fish and Wildlife Natural Resources Police and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, have all continued chasing after Delabear, but officials have hardly been able to keep up with him. Police even deployed a drone into the air.
After he zigzagged across Wilmington before running out of city limits, he vanished into Alapocas State Park. The park's wooded areas are closed until further notice.
"He's been chased around five or six days now so, hopefully, he gets chased in the woods, he decides this is a better spot to be," Czech said.
The last time a wild bear was seen in Delaware outside of a wooded area was four years ago.
Pennsylvania game officials have since let Delaware wildlife officials borrow its bear trap.
Authorities urge people not to approach the bear if you see it.
CBS3's Matt Petrillo and Kimberly Davis contributed to this report.
