Bear spotted in yard near Bellevue’s Bridle Trails State Park

BELLEVUE, Wash. — A KIRO 7 viewer spotted a massive black bear in their Bellevue backyard this weekend.

The bear was seen around 11:30 a.m. Sunday outside the home near Bridle Trails State Park.

The sighting came two weeks after another bear showed up in a neighborhood on the Kirkland side of the park.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has tips to avoid bear encounters such as securing garbage cans and pet food, which can attract a hungry animal.

You should also thoroughly clean barbecue grills after each use, clean up fallen fruit, and remove birdfeeders until winter.

WDFW says you should never feed bears or other wild animals. Unintentionally or “negligently” feeding bears have an $87 fine. The fine for intentionally feeding a bear can be as much as $1,000.

If you see a bear in your neighborhood, please report it to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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