Bear sighting clogs Indian Trail

Wildlife and fire department crews removed a black bear that wandered into a northwest Spokane neighborhood this afternoon. The bear climbed up a pine tree just off Indian Trail Road near Pacific Park Drive about noon, creating a bottleneck of traffic by spectators trying to get a look at the animal. Indian Trail road was shut down as officials from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Fire Department, and Spokane Police worked to remove the beast. After officials fired two tranquilizers darts into the bear’s backside, the animal fell, breaking small limbs from the tree on its way down. It landed on a safety device placed around the base of the tree, and was not injured. The bear was relocated back to the wild, officials said.