This is news in London - Great Bear save in Donner Summit area

Bear rescued from California bridge: Pictures

Story at The Telegraph - UK
By Emma Henry and agencies

Last Updated: 1:28pm BST 30/09/2007

A 250-pound bear stranded under a busy bridge near Lake Tahoe in California was saved by an army of rescuers, a tranquiliser dart and a nylon net bought at an Army surplus store.

The bear was walking across the 80ft high bridge on Highway 40 near Donner Summit in the Sierra Nevada when the closeness of two oncoming cars spooked it, causing it to jump over the railing.

At one point it was dangling over the edge, but it managed to grab on to a ledge and pull itself onto a concrete girder beneath the bridge.

Officials initially decided nothing could be done, but when they returned the next morning and found the bear still stranded on the bridge, they decided to take action.

Volunteers strung the net beneath the bridge and an animal control officer shot the bear with a tranquiliser dart.

Once the bear was unconscious, volunteers used a pole to push it into the net, then lowered the bear onto the floor of the ravine as more than 100 spectators cheered.

The groggy bear was steered away from the crowds and back into the wilderness.

Dave Baker of the Truckee BEAR League said: "I've been on a lot of bear rescues and this is the most intense bear call that I've been on."