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Responders work to contain bear in Lynnwood neighborhood

LYNNWOOD, Wash. — A black bear is likely hunkered down and hiding after leading officers on an hours-long search through the busy streets of Lynnwood Tuesday afternoon.

Fish and Wildlife officials told KIRO 7's Amy Clancy the bear could be in the wetlands between 44th Avenue West and I-5.

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The bear was seen climbing fences, trying to cross busy streets and resting in the shade.

The bear, believed to weigh around 175 pounds, was first spotted near the Lynnwood Whole Foods, then Lowe's and then a number of apartment complexes.

"It was walking around, then it would stop and look around and then they would roll up with the K-9 dog or whatever, the police dog, and it would start barking and it would run away," Joey Briner, who saw the bear, said.

Sgt. Jennifer Maurstad with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife said they tried to get a scent on the bear.

“Thought we were successful for a couple of minutes,” Maurstad said. “We were hoping that we were going to tree the bear but it didn’t happen. It ended up in a wetland area; it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.”

For now, Fish and Wildlife officers are letting the bear be and warning people not to leave any food or animal feed outside. If the bear is sighted and captured, it will be tranquilized, tagged and taken to a remote location.

There are bear sightings around Lynnwood every once in a while. There were also a few sightings in Bothell yesterday, which could have been the same bear.

Nadine Drisseq with King County’s “Bear Smart” program worked on a 2016 study that looked into residential garbage bins attracting bears.

The study claims that once a bear gets a taste of human garbage they become “food conditioned” and continue a habit of searching for food in garbage cans.

According to the study, the so-called "food conditioning" is dangerous for both community and the bear as it can become more aggressive in its search for food.

Here's what to do if you come in close contact with a bear:

  • Stay calm and avoid direct eye contact, which could elicit a charge. Try to stay upwind and identify yourself as a human by standing up, talking and waving your hands above your head.
  • Do not approach the bear, particularly if cubs are present. Give the bear plenty of room.
  • If you cannot safely move away from the bear, and the animal does not flee, try to scare it away by clapping your hands or yelling.
  • If the bear attacks, fight back aggressively. As a last resort, should the attack continue, protect yourself by curling into a ball or lying on the ground on your stomach and playing dead.

In Washington, black bears live in a diverse array of forested habitats, from coastal rainforests to the dry woodlands of the Cascades' eastern slopes.

Sightings of bears happen across the eastside region from Bothell down to Auburn, especially at homes near densely wooded areas.

The statewide black bear population in Washington likely ranges between 25,000 and 30,000 animals. Bear attacks are rare, although the chances of being injured by one multiply in the backcountry.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife responds to bear sightings when there is a threat to public safety or property. If it is an emergency, dial 911.