Bear caught in storm drain freed when manhole cover lifted

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Authorities have freed a bear that got caught in a storm drain for about an hour.

Colorado Springs Utilities workers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southeast Region workers arrived to the residential neighborhood Thursday to work out a strategy to get the bruin out. They didn't want to handle it because they would have to tag it and it would be euthanized if tagged again.

Wildlife officials harassed the bear by firing a nonlethal rubber slug while utility workers opened a manhole . The bear, estimated to be about 250 pounds, climbed out and was chased away.