KENT, Wash. — People in Kent are being alerted about two black bears seen playing at a park and near a school Wednesday afternoon.
The bears were seen near Martin Sortun Elementary on Southeast 248th right at the end of the school day.
A mother bear and her cub were spotted wandering around outside the school.
Not long after, the pair was seen playing at Clark Lake Park, about 2 miles from the school.
A warning sign about the bears that asks people to stay out has been posted at the park, which was closed late Wednesday,as officials looked for the animals.
King County's Guardian One helicopter was sent up in the air to try to locate them, but was unsuccessful.
It's been a busy week or so for bear encounters. Wildlife officials tranquilized a bear in a Lakewood backyard, and a black bear climbed into a tree near a Renton school, where it stayed for hours.
It’s the time of year when bears are looking for food. Experts say that those who live in the foothills or wooded areas should keep their trash in an area that's inaccessible by the animals until pickup day.
They say once a bear gets a taste for human food, it will often venture down into neighborhoods instead of eating its natural diet.
Cox Media Group