Hungry bears come pawing for food
Published 10:55 pm Thursday, September 18, 2008
More bears are being reported in the lowlands of Snohomish County and experts aren’t surprised.
Bad weather in the mountains last winter and spring has resulted in a shortened berry season at higher elevations.
As a result, the bears are venturing farther down to find their pre-winter snacks.
State Fish and Wildlife officers said they have responded to calls about black bears all over the north and east parts of the county.
Now, state game officials and bear scientists are warning people to keep an eye out for bears and make sure they aren’t tempting the hungry creatures into bad habits.
As the bears prepare to go into winter hibernation, they rush to eat as many calories as they can, said Chris Morgan, a bear expert from Bellingham who runs the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project.
Garbage, compost, pet food, birdseed and fruit all are tasty snacks for Ursus americanus, commonly known as the black bear.
“They’re all highly attractive to bears, especially at this time of year,” Morgan said. “It’s an absolutely key time in the bear calendar and there’s only one thing on their mind, and that’s food consumption.”
On Tuesday, a bear was spotted rambling through back yards in Granite Falls.
The day before, a family spotted a bear near their Whiskey Ridge home in Marysville.
Last week, a bear was trapped and relocated after causing problems near Verlot.
“There’s just a ton of bears” at lower elevations, state Fish and Wildlife Sgt. Randy Lambert said.
No one’s been hurt, but officials are warning people to take steps to protect themselves and the bears, he said.
About 25,000 black bears are estimated to live in Washington, putting the state among the top five in the country for bears, Morgan said.
While experts don’t track exactly how many bears make Snohomish County their home, Morgan said the large amount of forested land makes it prime bear country.
“It’s also a good county for people, and that’s why conflicts seem to occur,” he said.
Keep an eye on pets and children and don’t leave tasty treats in back yards for the bears to snack on.
“They get one reward and they’ll be back for more,” Morgan said. “They are extremely intelligent and extremely adaptable, and bad habits are hard to break with bears. We’re trying to encourage good habits among humans.”
Near Whiskey Ridge, Jenine “Rusty” Allison said she’s concerned for her son, Bryce, 11, who waits for a school bus near where her husband spotted a bear Monday.
If someone sees a bear, it’s best to make lots of noise and look big, experts said. Most often, the bear will run away.
Still, people should call and report their wildlife encounter, officials said.
Allison said she’s worried about the animals, too.
“I hope that officials don’t kill the bear but instead relocate it,” she said.
Wildlife officials tag and trap bears who are causing problems in suburban areas. They bring them deep into the woods where they’re less likely to get into trouble, Lambert said.
Hunters should be wary of eating a tagged bear, he said. Sometimes officials use powerful drugs to tranquilize the animal, and that may make the meat unfit for human consumption. About 1,300 bears are taken by hunters annually, according to state figures.
If the same bear finds its way back to garbage, it’s likely to be killed.
“Two strikes and they’re out, normally,” Lambert said.
In Western Washington, bears usually go into hibernation in November. To get ready for their long winter naps, they can forage up to 20 hours a day, increasing their body weight by 35 percent.
“They’re hungry,” Lambert said. “They’re on a mad dash for sugar.”
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
