CORTLAND — Officials with the state DEC say it was an overdose of tranquilizer that killed a black bear that visited the City of Cortland this week.
The animal was reported Monday morning and later retreated up a tree in a suburban neighborhood. Wildlife workers and law enforcement say they had no choice but to knock the bear out with a tranquilizer dart and take it away, but it later died.
Cornell University vets say the dart hit the bear’s vein or artery rather than the intended muscle and caused respiratory failure. DEC officials say while using darts is standard procedure, there’s always a risk they could kill the animal, but the safety of the public needs to come first.
