Rash Of Bear Sightings A 'People Problem,' Wildlife Expert Says

Photo: state wildlife officials tranquilized a large black bear in Lakewood on Monday. The bear was returned to the wild.

RENTON, WA - First, some quick bear math: one pound of typical bird feed contains about 1,700 calories; a pound of blueberries contains about 200 calories. The average black bear needs about 3,000 calories per day to survive. If you're a hungry bear looking for sustenance, which would you choose: foraging all day for blueberries, or knocking over a couple of low-hanging backyard bird feeders?

Exactly - you choose the easy, calorie-rich bird feeders.

There's been a rash of bear sightings and interactions across Puget Sound this spring, and wildlife experts say it's largely our fault. Additionally, this spring's bear sightings are neither out of the ordinary nor more frequent than usual.

Earlier this week, wildlife officers trapped a large black bear hanging out in a crowded residential neighborhood in Lakewood west of I-5. Bears were spotted Wednesday near an elementary school in Kent, and last week, the city of Renton was mesmerized by a live video feed of a bear hanging out in a tree near Highlands Elementary School.

Not to mention, residents in Woodinville joke that the city should name the black bear as the official mascot - that's how frequently people see black bears around town. On Thursday, a bear was seen traipsing around in Redmond.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Sgt. Kim Chandler, who is based in Mill Creek, told Patch.com that, as of Monday, he's tallied 140 calls about black bears in the Puget Sound area so far in 2017. In all of 2016, he tracked 410 sightings or incidents; in 2015, there were more than 600.

Richard Beausoleil, a bear and cougar specialist with WDFW, says that sightings this spring are part of a normal routine for bears. When they exit hibernation in spring, they forage for grass to get their digestive systems going, but then they start looking for higher-calorie items. And that's when you get bears knocking over bird feeders and trash cans.

Beausoleil says it a "people problem" that bears come into our backyards. With massive development around the region, humans are increasingly moving into traditional bear habitat.

"People have made their homes the most attractive [food source] on the landscape," he said. "If the food wasn't here, they wouldn't be here."

The top three items that attract bears to population centers, Beausoleil says, are bird feeders, garbage cans, and fruit trees (even if the fruit is old and shriveled up). If people can control those three items, he said, it would likely result in a reduction of bear sightings.

The good news, Beausoleil says: once natural food sources - like berries - become more abundant this summer, the bears should fade back into the wilderness.

"Once natural foods come out, those will become more attractive; it's just a normal cycle," he said.

Are you bear aware?

An encounter with a black bear can be scary, especially if it's your first sighting. But there are a few things you can remember to keep yourself (and the bear) safe. Here are some tips from bear experts:

• Prevention is best: To avoid bear encounters on your property, hide any food source, including bird feeders. Secure trash cans, and make sure to clean up food scraps left behind after barbecues and other events. Bears can smell food from miles away.
• Don't run, don't climb a tree: Bears are more afraid of us than we are of them, and will almost always flee at the sight of a human. But you might inadvertently trigger a different reaction if YOU flee from a bear. It's best to slowly back away while talking softly to the bear - and avoid eye contact. You can also clap or make loud noises to scare off a bear.
• Recognize aggression: Bears will show aggression in a few key ways. They might "bluff charge" you or chuff or snap their jaws. A bear standing on its hind legs is not showing aggression - that's just the bear getting a better vantage point.
• There are no grizzly bears: Even if you see a bear that's colored brown, it's important to remember Western Washington only has black bears. Even in the extreme North Cascades, wildlife biologists haven't seen signs of a grizzly in more than 30 years.
• Fight back: If by some remote chance a black bear attacks you, fight back as hard as you can.
• Don't feed the bears: If you see a bear, don't attempt to feed it or approach it. In some local cities, it's actually against the law to feed bears and other wildlife.

Image via Lakewood police