Black Bear captured, euthanized after roaming around Port Allen neighborhood

PORT ALLEN, La. (WAFB) - A 200-pound black bear that was seen in a Port Allen neighborhood Sunday was trapped by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries personnel Tuesday night.

Officials said the bear was captured around 8:30 p.m. They added because it had become habituated and too reliant on human food sources, the decision was made to euthanize the animal.

“We’ve worked so hard to re-establish the Louisiana black bear population in our state and any time we have to euthanize one it is a hard decision,” said LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet. “This is always a last resort in these cases. Unfortunately, bears like this one, that have become too dependent on human food sources, cannot be successfully relocated. Public safety is our utmost concern and that’s why this difficult call was made.”

Residents in the Oaks Avenue area of Port Allen discovered a black bear wandering the neighborhood early Sunday morning.

Robin Hurst woke up to her cameras going off. At first, she thought it was just a cat but then, she looked outside the window.

“I called my husband and he said, ‘What?’ and I said, ‘There’s a black bear in the backyard,’” said Hurst. “And he said, ‘A what?’ I said, ‘A bear!’”

Around 6:15 a.m., a black bear made his rounds in a Port Allen neighborhood near the Mississippi River.

Luckily, Hurst caught all of the action on camera.

“By the time the black bear came back by my driveway, he started to kind of running. The police car came, so they were like, face-to-face, like who’s going to make the first move,” Hurst added.

That’s when the bear decided to climb in a tree, bringing together a huge crowd of fans to bear watch.

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries tried to tranquilize the bear but agents said they couldn’t get a clear shot. They say the bear will probably be in the tree for a while until he feels safe to come down.

A neighbor said the bear was still in the tree Sunday night. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries put a trap out with cinnamon rolls with vanilla poured on top.

The bear climbed down the tree overnight but an officer with the Port Allen Police Department reported it returned early Monday morning. However, officers lost sight of him when he ducked between some houses.

Here are some practices that will limit human-bear conflicts:

• Never feed or approach bears.
• Secure food, garbage, and recycling.
• Remove bird feeders when bears are active.
• Never leave pet food outdoors.
• Clean and store BBQ grills.
• Let your neighbors know if you see bears in your area.

Click here to report a typo.

Copyright 2021 WAFB. All rights reserved.