200-Pound Bear Tranquilized After Sitting in Yonkers Tree for Nearly 17 Hours

New York officials tranquilized and removed a 200-pound black bear that sat in a Yonkers tree for nearly 17 hours.

The bear, which led police on a three-day search, was first spotted on Rossmore Avenue and was later seen wandering just off the northbound side of the Bronx River Parkway, according to Yonkers police.

At about 11 a.m. Tuesday, the animal climbed up a tree at Dewitt and Desmond avenues, police said. Officials tranquilized the bear with a dart gun just after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and it fell onto cushioned pads below.

The bear was being taken to New Paltz to be analyzed and monitored. It will then be released somewhere in Putnam County where it will be able to roam freely.

Officials with the state parks department warned residents to keep their backyards tidy to keep the large bears from becoming unwanted house guests.

"A bear is nothing more than, really, a large raccoon," said Tom Koepf, of the parks department.

Bears are attracted to neighborhoods by the smell of garbage, so residents are urged to properly secure any trash outside and remove bird feeders.

Another black bear sighting was reported early Tuesday morning. Lohud.com reports a 150-pound bear was seen wandering around an apartment complex on Central Park Avenue. Police said it was unclear if it was the same bear that was seen early Wednesday morning.

--Tracie Strahan contributed to this report.

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