Black bear roams streets of downtown Manchester, NH

MANCHESTER, Mass. (WHDH) -- A black bear was spotted roaming the streets of Manchester, N.H. Sunday morning.

The bear was spotted walking down a busy downtown street before climbing a tree -- going higher and higher as officers tried to contain him.

The 3-year-old bear was first spotted near City Hall Sunday morning.

“All of the sudden, we saw the black bear come up and stand up and he kept trying to get over the fence,” a witness said.

That's until fish and game officials showed up. The bear changed tactics, climbing a tree instead.

The scene captured a lot of attention on the busy intersection.

“The bear climbed up into the tree, they shot him with a tranquilizer gun and he kept climbing up higher and higher into the tree,” the witness said.

The 140-pound bear hung on until the tranquilizers kicked in.

“He got stuck up in the tree and must have passed out,” the witness said.

Gathering the bear with a cherry picker, officials then put the bear in a cage. He seemed to wake up alert and ready for his next adventure.

“Definitely not your normal Sunday morning in the middle of Manchester, no,” the witness said.

That bear will be relocated to the White Mountains.