Attention, Internet: The Newest ‘Mid-Air Bear’ Has Arrived

Another bear falls out of another tree, and the Internet is there to behold.

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Matt Stensland / Matt Stensland/Steamboat Pilot & Today

Firefighters and Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officers hold a tarp to catch the falling black bear on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colo.

This week, a tranquilized bear was caught tumbling out of a tree into a tarp held by Steamboat Springs, Colo. officials. Or, as the subtle Daily Mail put it, “Look out below! ANOTHER bear falls out of a tree (after being given a shove by the fire department).” Since bears falling out of trees is an internet obsession of late, NewsFeed hosts a short Q&A regarding the incident.

Q: Wasn’t this a meme only a week or two ago? I vaguely remember some bear falling out of a tree appearing in my Facebook feed.

A: Yes, that was “Falling Bear,” a 200 lb black bear that gracefully toppled out of a tree on the University of Colorado, Boulder campus. The photo became so internet-iconic that it sparked a copyright scuffle. And, sadly, the fun ended when the bear was hit by a car on a highway days later.

Q: Thank you, that’s actually a tragic story. And this new mid-air bear is different?

A: Yes, this is another bear that has become internet-famous. But this time, it reportedly didn’t just slump and fall away from the tree upon being tranquilized.

Q: What happened?

A:  The Steamboat Pilot & Today reported that local officials tranquilized the bear, but it got snagged in a branch;  it took a firefighter to dislodge it.

Q: Why didn’t the firefighters just carry it down instead?

A: “[Area Wildlife Manager Jim] Haskins said they considered putting the bear on the ladder to bring it down, but they figured that could be a bad idea if the bear would wake up,” the Pilot & Today reported.

Q: That makes sense. Hey are there any really big pictures showing tranquilizer gun-brandishing officials, the mid-air bear and its precarious-looking fall?

A: Yep, those are right here.