May 04--The Colorado falling bear has been killed.
The tranquilized black bear made famous worldwide last week by a photo that showed it with arms and legs spread midair while falling from a tree died after it was hit by a car early Thursday, Colorado wildlife officials told news media there.
The bear was struck in the Denver-bound lanes of U.S. Highway 36 near Boulder about 5:40 a.m. Thursday, the Boulder Daily Camera reported.
The death came one week after the bear was tranquilized and removed from a dormitory area on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. The 280-pound bear had been tagged before it was released April 26 in a wildlife area about 50 miles west of Boulder, and wildlife officials confirmed Thursday that it was the bear killed.
"It's a bummer. It's so hard to go through this and not be able to give these bears a good place to live," Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill told the Daily Camera. "The community sees relocating bears as a kind of perfect solution, and unfortunately it's a really difficult proposition."
The accident involved two cars and left one driver with minor injuries, Colorado state police told the paper.
The instantly iconic picture of the falling bear, shot by photographer Andy Duann, quickly went viral, appearing in print and online publications around the world and leading to Falling Bear Facebook and Twitter pages.
The bear was believed to be 1 to 3 years old.
Twitter: @RobManker
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