Lebanon fire crews rescue 385-pound black bear from Millcreek Twp. tree

Lebanon County fire crews assisted in the Pennsylvania Game Commission in rescuing a male black bear from a tree in Millcreek Twp over the weekend, according to officials.

The Womelsdorf Volunteer Fire Company reported that emergency crews responded to Round Barn Road for a report of a 385-pound bear climbing the trees. Crews said their ladder truck was requested to help with efforts to get the bear down.

“While a few creative ideas — like using honey, picnic baskets, marmalade, or porridge — were reportedly tossed around to lure the bear down, officers ultimately decided that sticking with more traditional methods was the way to go,” the fire company reported on its Facebook page.

An officer was planning to use an aerial ladder to encourage the bear to climb down on its own, according to officials. But after crews learned the bear had previously been aggressive and had climbed even higher, officers chose to tranquilize it instead for everyone’s safety.

Once the 385-pound male black bear was sedated, crews carefully removed the him from tree. The bear was then loaded into a containment trailer and safely relocated to another area.

Officials reported that over the years, Womelsdorf Volunteer Fire Company helped to recover a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, ducks, iguanas, macaws and recently a deer.