Bear In Raritan Hit By Car, Climbs Tree

RARITAN, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- For the third time in two months, a bear stuck in a tree put on a show for some New Jersey residents.

Officials say a 3-year-old bruin rested 20-feet above the ground in Raritan for about nine hours before officials were able to tranquillize the animal Thursday.

They say the bear climbed the tree after being hit by a car. Firefighters removed the bear using a bucket truck.

The nearly 300-pound bear is expected to be released onto state-owned land in Hunterdon County.

This is just the latest in a number of New Jersey bear sightings.

A black bear entertained Metuchen residents in June with a day-long nap in a man's backyard that ended with the bear lazily coming down and walking off into 300 acres of preserved land.

Then in July, another black bear caused quite a stir in East Brunswick when it got stuck in a silver maple tree.

He was tranquilized and caught in a net by wildlife officials and was released in a wildlife management area in New Egypt.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)