The wandering black bear that had kept Srinagar residents on edge for over 11 days was finally trapped on Saturday evening at Nigeen here, bringing an end to an intense citywide search operation.

Wildlife officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the animal walked into a cage set up near the lake area. “The bear has been successfully trapped and will be relocated to a safe forest habitat after medical examination,” officials said.

The bear had been on an unusual “city tour,” spotted earlier at NIT Srinagar, Kashmir University, SKIMS Soura and finally around Nigeen Lake, prompting a massive multi-agency operation. Drones, tranquiliser teams, and rescue vehicles were deployed to monitor its movement and ensure public safety.

With the bear’s capture, officials said surveillance and patrols would continue for the next 24 hours as the second bear spotted near the University of Kashmir, has not been trapped yet and search for him is continuing—(KNO)