It’s been nearly a month since wildlife officials tried to trap a black bear in Bellevue with doughnuts, maple syrup and salmon.
The technique didn’t work, and multiple residents have reported sightings since then.
Lori Cleary spotted a black bear on May 21 while gazing out a window at her home near Cougar Mountain. She says wildlife officers told her to ignore it.
An identical-looking bruin appeared in her yard on June 3, this time grabbing a bag of garbage and hauling it up a tree.
Cleary’s nanny and 2-year-old daughter didn’t notice the animal when they pulled into the driveway. The bear was spooked, and ran down the tree as they walked by, startling the pair.
Guillermo Navarro, who lives nearby in the Somerset neighborhood, spotted a black bear in his backyard on May 24. He saw what appeared to be the same bear standing 20 feet from his kitchen window a week later. The animal “sniffed around” and walked off into a nearby greenbelt.
Navarro says he contacted the Department of Fish and Wildlife, but the agency refused to take action.
“Until it gets aggressive, they won’t do anything,” Navarro said.
That’s generally the policy with Fish and Wildlife. The agency doesn’t try to capture bears unless they show aggressive behavior or appear to have lost their fear of humans.
Officers set the trap with salmon and sweets in Bellevue around May 21 because a bear tried to enter a man’s garage in the Somerset neighborhood. The animal ignored attempts to frighten it away and showed aggressive behavior towards an officer who tried to tranquilize it.
The bear eventually escaped into the woods.
Several East Bellevue residents have called Fish and Wildlife about bear sightings since then, even though the trap was set for three days.
“We’ve been getting calls on that bear every other day with people demanding something be done about it,” said Sgt. Kim Chandler of Fish and Wildlife. “That’s not going to happen.”
Instead, officers continue preaching their safety tips and warning residents to remove sources of quick calories that attract bears – like bird feeders, garbage, and sticky barbeque grills.
Navarro isn’t happy with that approach.
“Weird that something bad needs to happens before they take action,” he said. “Where is the prevention culture?”
Chandler says any bears that have been wandering near the suburbs will return to their natural habitat as fruits and berries appear in the wilderness. He said that time is right about now.
“There’s always a marked decline in the frequency of bear complaints once the berries come out,” he said.
Wildlife officials have responded to some bear sighting since setting the trap in Bellevue, but they only go after the most aggressive animals. Most of the incidents this spring have occurred in more rural places like Maple Valley, Chandler said.
One case involved a bear that ripped down a garage door in Issaquah. That was after the homeowners had removed all food sources from their yard.
But for every case of an aggressive bear, there are more incidents involving residents who haven’t followed the advice of wildlife officers, Chandler said.
One woman e-mailed six photos of a bear in her yard, requesting help from Fish and Wildlife. The animal had her bird feeder in its mouth.
“This is strictly food-oriented behavior for a bear,” Chandler said. “You’ve got to kind of help them out.”
Cleary says she’s removed all potential food sources from her yard, and she keeps her garbage indoors now. She is also more vigilant when she steps outside.
“When I walk out, I look in every direction to make sure the bear’s not around,” she said.
