A ‘quite portly’ yet ‘highly mobile’ black bear that roamed WA neighborhoods has died
Update: The bear was trapped and killed near Issaquah in mid-May, The Associated Press reported. Officials with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife decided to euthanize the bear because of his tendency to get into food sources from humans, the outlet reported. The original story appears below.
A particularly crafty black bear is on Washington wildlife officials’ most-wanted list.
The bear, which is wearing a tracking collar that’s no longer in use, has been evading officials’ attempts to capture him since late 2021, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Chase Gunnell told McClatchy News.
The agency has “dedicated significant time and resources attempting to trap this bear,” but hasn’t been able to so far — he’s “highly mobile” and has wandered between ”various suburban areas, backyards and private properties,” Gunnell said.
The bear has also become “quite portly” during his travels after breaking into yards and feasting on garbage and other non-natural food sources. Officials are concerned that the bear’s penchant for suburban areas and taste for leftovers could create human-bear conflict, Gunnell said.
Officials are also concerned about the bear’s tracking collar. The collars used to track animals are supposed to break down and fall off after some time, but the material on this bear’s collar hasn’t worn down as quickly as it should have, Gunnell said.
The collar could be impacting the bear, given he’s become “unnaturally large” as of late, according to Gunnell.
“This is unfortunate, but we’re confident [the collar] will break and fall off,” Gunnell said.
Four different employees with the agency set up four different culvert traps for the bear between April 10 and April 21 but weren’t able to catch him. They did inadvertently capture a different bear but freed it before removing the traps altogether, Gunnell said.
The agency is now asking for information from the public. Anyone who has seen a black bear wearing a collar ”in the Squak Mountain or Cougar Mountain areas near Issaquah” or has information on the bear’s whereabouts is asked to reach out to the Department of Fish and Wildlife by calling 360-902-2936 or emailing enforcement-web@dfw.wa.gov.
Officials are evaluating their next steps — and Gunnell said that if sightings of the collared bear continue to come in, the agency might set out traps again and continue its efforts to capture him.
The bear’s presence is a reminder to Washington residents to properly secure their garbage and other items that could potentially attract wildlife into backyards or onto other private property, Gunnell said.
“Much of western Washington is black bear habitat, and they are common in eastern King County,” Gunnell said.
According to a blog post from the department, black bears tend to hibernate between late October and early April. Once they emerge, they’re hungry — bears can lose up to 30% of their body weight during hibernation, and female bears give birth to their cubs during this season, the agency said.
It’s important for people to avoid feeding bears, even if they seem sluggish and thin after coming out of hibernation, in order to make sure they don’t become too comfortable around humans. That includes feeding them unintentionally, as bears can smell food from over a mile away, the agency said.
In order to avoid bear break-ins, according to the agency, Washington residents should:
Keep garbage cans inside a garage or sturdy building until collection day
Take down animal feeders until fall, when bears hibernate
Clean up fallen fruit or other possible attractants outside the home
Feed pets inside and remove pet food from outside
Avoid storing food in cars
Clean barbecue grills after each use
Be mindful of food while camping – clean up food, wash hands and utensils after and store food or scented items like lotion or toothpaste in bear-resistant containers
This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 4:11 PM with the headline "A ‘quite portly’ yet ‘highly mobile’ black bear that roamed WA neighborhoods has died."