Black bear was contained until state bear manager arrived.

A black bear made a surprise appearance in a Kalispell residential area Thursday morning, only to be darted and moved back to the woods.

"It was a surprise," said east-side resident Terry Palmer. "My husband, Bill, looked out the window and saw a black bear in our yard."

It was a first for the Palmers.

"We had three raccoons in our yard three years ago, but never a black bear, considering we're right in the middle of the east side of Kalispell," Palmer said.

Kalispell police officers managed to contain the bear in the Palmers' back yard at Seventh Avenue East and 12th Street until state bear manager Tim Manley arrived.

"When I got there, they basically had it surrounded in a back yard behind some real thick spruce trees," Manley said.

After two failed attempts, Manley hit the bear with a tranquilizer dart. But the bear didn't go down right away.

Instead, it made a mad dash for three blocks into Dry Bridge Park, where it swam across the pond and wandered into an adjacent alley before it collapsed.

Manley weighed the bear - it was 135 pounds - and fitted it with an ear tag. It will be released today in the Swan Mountains.

Manley speculated that the bear found its way into town by wandering along the Flathead River corridor.

"He was just in a bad spot and got caught there in the middle of the day when everyone could see him," Manley said.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at [email protected]