A young black bear has seemingly disappeared from densely-populated Lookout Mountain, Tn., as stealthily as he first appeared.
Police Chief Randy Bowden said Thursday afternoon, "It was topsy turvy around here for a few days, but he's not been seen since Tuesday morning."
Chief Bowden said the bear, weighing an estimated 75-100 pounds, was the first bear within memory in the community at the northern point of the mountain. He noted, "We don't really have any woods."
There were several sightings of a larger bear last year to the south at the much more rural Hinkle community.
The chief said the bear was first seen on Sunday climbing up the Incline Railway tracks.
He said there were several sightings of it "in the center of our community" around Laurel Lane over the next couple of days.
His officers confronted it in the backyard of Mark and Ann Caldwell, but eventually withdrew. Chief Bowden said, "We were told by the wildlife people that the last thing we wanted to do was to kill a bear."
While the bear was known to be in the vicinity, some drove their cars up and down the roads trying to spot it.
Walkers carried "bear sticks" with them for protection.
Chief Bowden said, "We were told that if we left him alone he should soon go off somewhere else. It seems like he has."