SICILY ISLAND, La. — How do you handle a bear hit by a car? &uot;Very carefully,&uot; according to Reggie Wycoff, manager of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ District IV office in Ferriday.

At about 2 p.m. Friday, an unidentified man struck a black bear as it crossed Louisiana 15 near Sicily Island in Catahoula Parish.

The Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office received a cellular telephone call from the scene and responded along with state and U.S. wildlife officials.

The bear’s right shoulder seemed to be injured, so wildlife workers tranquilized it in order to transport it to a wildlife refuge in Tensas Parish.

There, the 2-year-old, 125-pound male bear will live out its days &uot;where people won’t antagonize it. Other than that, there’s not much you can do. But wild animals usually mend easily,&uot; Wycoff said.

Although black bears are often seen in other parts of the Mississippi River delta, more are being spotted in Catahoula and Concordia parishes these days, he added.