A pair of black bears in Clinton Falls, Indiana, injured their owner in an escape from her house earlier this week. The bears ultimately returned to her home before tranquilizers were used.
On Tuesday, the black bears made a break for it, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Wednesday, although the bears remained within a fenced-in area. The concern was that the bears would climb the fencing and truly get loose.
“Not dogs, not cows, not even ostriches……. BEARS!! … We sure get a variety of calls around here, but that was definitely a unique one,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Bears are legal to own in the state of Indiana with a permit.
The owner of the two bears, unnamed by law enforcement, received treatment at a local hospital and is doing fine, the sheriff’s office said. The exact nature of her injuries was not specified.
Officers scrambled to a veterinarian to get a tranquilizer gun and doses of the sedative, only to find that they did not need them. The bears returned to the home of their own volition, and law enforcement swiftly locked them inside.
A wildlife expert is keeping an eye on the bears while their owner receives treatment.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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