Falling Bear Dies Today.

Are you happy now, CARS? You've just killed the internet's favorite new meme, literally. Today is a sad day.



DENVER — A bear that became famous after it was tranquilized and fell from a tree at the University of Colorado died when it was hit by two cars after returning to town, likely looking for food.

A photographer with the school's student newspaper  captured an image of the 280-pound black bear in midair, its arms and legs splayed as it fell after wildlife officers shot it with a tranquiliser dart on  April 26.

The bear was not injured in the fall. The photo went viral on the Internet and "the falling bear" even garnered its own Facebook page and Twitter account!!!!


But, just a week after becoming famous for falling out of a tree after being tranquilized on the University of Colorado campus, "Falling Bear" has been struck and killed by a car. Falling Bear met its doom on U.S. Highway 36 near Boulder early Thursday morning.

 A snapshot of its fall from the tree last week went viral after it was posted, sparking a now-resolved fight over ownership rights to the photo and quickly leading to a falling bear meme.

The bear famously tranquilized on the University of Colorado campus last week, and immortalized in a viral photo by CU student Andy Duann, met a tragic death early Thursday in the Denver-bound lanes of U.S. 36. Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said a 280-pound black bear that died on U.S. 36 after being hit by a car at about 5:40 a.m. Thursday was the same bear that became known worldwide last week after wandering onto the CU campus near the Williams Village dorm complex.