Bear falls from tree in botched US capture

Black bears don't normally fall out of trees, in fact, they're famed for being good climbers.

But that wasn't the case for one such mammal in the US state of Michigan, who fell out of a tree after being tranquilised by authorities.

Luckily for the bear, a pile of "wet dirt" cushioned its fall - according to local media - and it was not thought to have been hurt in its escapade.

It all started on Thursday morning, when the two-year-old wandered into a community in the city of Grand Rapids.

Worried residents called the authorities, who promptly came and tranquilised the 8.9 stone (56kg) bear, which had taken up residence in a tree.

But before they could lower it down from the tree, the tranquilisers took effect and the bear made its own way back down to the ground.

Officials said the bear may have entered the city after becoming lost.

John Niewoonder, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources biologist who tranquilised the bear explained to local television channel Wood TV: “He was lost. He’s a young bear.

"When they come out of the den (during) their second spring, they have to leave their mother, the mother will drive them off and then they start looking for a home.

"If they can’t find a home where another bear isn’t, then they keep moving, and keep moving and keep moving.

"And this bear unfortunately decided to come into the city, and probably got confused, but kept going.

"(It) didn’t know where to go, ended up here, encountered a bunch of people, went up a tree and felt safe there."

It is thought that the bear was released in Roscommon County, around 150 miles north-east of Grand Rapids.