Riders, always secure your bikes and your beer!

Bear Escapes Zoo
Originally published June 29, 2008, 11:28 AM

By Mykelsa Ryder
News-Post Staff


A bold escape bid by a bear from the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo in nearby Thurmont, Maryland has been foiled in a dramatic shoot-out. The North American Black Bear exited his momentarily unlocked enclosure during feeding time and knocked down an unsecured rear door before ultimately heading south along, and parallel to, US 15. After quickly running a number of miles he paddled across a Frederick City Watershed pond using a log for a raft, he then scaled a rocky embankment up and over a Gambrill Park Road home's outer fence.

Finally he attempted to commandeer the home owner's bicycle before DNR personnel showed up with brooms and cornered him. An Animal Control Officer who had been called to the scene eventually was able to subdue him with numerous shots of Steelback Tiverton Bear Honey Brown from a tranquilizer gun!

DNR officials believe the bear was frenzied after hearing the mating calls of other bears in the woods outside of his CWP & Z enclosure. They speculate that the black bear was only attempting to "borrow" the bike to get more quickly to his old "rutting" grounds along the Fishing Creek Road area of the Frederick City Watershed in nearby Frederick County, Maryland.

And we thought it was only the snakes at the "shed" who were treacherous! Remember, lock your bikes and always secure your post-ride refreshments in bear-proof containers! The picture below is yet another terrible example of what can happen! The owner of this bike (sans his case of really good craft beer) learned a valuable lesson!