A STRAY dog who proved he truly knows his survival skills has been named Bear Grylls by a group of Lymm residents who finally caught him after a 12 day chase.

The large dog was first spotted on December 10 near Lymm Dam and people started to worry about the welfare of the animal and its owner.

Bear was often seen standing on one of the graves at St Mary’s Church and residents started leaving food and shelter for him as the weather turned cold.

Liberal Democrat parish councillor Graham Gowland said: “There was one grave he was seen standing on where he could see the main road so we think he might have been dumped.”

The friendly dog, who is believed to be around four or five years old, was spotted playing with other dogs but proved very difficult to catch.

Sightings of Bear in Oughtrington and Spud Wood were posted to Facebook, which helped kind-hearted residents pinpoint his location.

A badger trap from Freshfields Animal Rescue was borrowed and eventually Bear was caught on December 22 and taken to Lymm Veterinary Surgery for a check-up.

Cllr Gowland said: “Social media was a great help because people posted sightings and because of that we were able to find Bear.

“Lots of people were very concerned about him. It was lovely to see everybody coming together and worried about what would happen.

“A great team of people took time out of their day to look for him and wanted to keep him safe. It’s a good example of how the community pulls together.”

Bear spent Christmas with one of the residents who helped catch him but he is now back at the vet surgery, waiting for a permanent home.

If you are interested in rehoming Bear call Diane Kerfoot on 07802544767.