A bear that was seen wandering around near downtown Reno on Thursday was released back into the wild on Friday.
NDOW says the bear was released safely, in the hills above Washoe Valley.
NDOW biologists and game wardens helped with the release using Karelian Bear Dogs, a non-lethal wildlife management tool used to help reinforce a bear’s natural fear of people and urban areas.
The bear was not injured during the incident and no people were hurt.
The bear was safely captured on Thursday after wildlife officials said it climbed down from a tree and entered a “culvert trap” under its own power.
At approximately 10 a.m., NDOW received reports of a bear inside a trailer park off Keystone Avenue. The bear later moved into an adjacent trailer park before eventually traveling parallel to I-80 through west Reno.
The bear ultimately made its way through a nearby shopping center and climbed into a tree, where NDOW game wardens and biologists monitored the situation for approximately four hours. NDOW also deployed a drone to monitor the bear.
Nevada Department of Wildlife officials said biologists and game wardens were working in the area of Fourth Street to locate the bear, with Reno police assisting in the effort.
After it climbed into the culvert trap, it was processed where NDOW staff determined it to be a 2-year-old female bear with no prior encounters with the agency.
At this age, NDOW says bears are beginning to venture away from their mothers and learn how to fend for themselves.
The bear was not injured during the incident, and no people were hurt. As part of standard protocol, the bear was tagged to help identify it in the event of any future encounters.
Officials said spring is when bears are most active and that younger bears are wandering farther from their homes, which can lead to situations like this. The agency also reminded the public to stay “bear-aware” and remove outdoor attractants, including locking trash cans.
(NDOW contributed to this report.)
