A young black bear was captured in Picacho Thursday night.
The healthy, yearling male was seen foraging for food on Monday near homes in Picacho, about 50 miles northwest of Tucson.
He was attracted to beehives in the area and spent some time hiding in orange groves, said Mark Hart, an Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesman.
Using strawberries, maple syrup and peanut butter, Game and Fish officers lured the bear to a trap near Wheeler and Milligan roads in Picacho.
He was released Friday in the Santa Rita Mountains, about 40 miles southeast of Tucson.
Where the bear came from is a puzzle, Hart said.
"It was pretty far away from what we consider to be black bear habitat," he said.
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But bears do live in mountain areas around Tucson, he added.
To prevent bear encounters, Hart said homeowners should secure trash bins, bring pet food inside overnight and hang bird feeders out of reach of wildlife.
