OAK HARBOR, Wash. — A bear was spotted by a neighbor in the Strawberry Point area of Oak Harbor on Wednesday night in what was a rare incident on the island.
Two residents saw what they believed to be a bear and reported it to Island County deputies. One neighbor was able to take a picture of the bear in their yard, which the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page.
“It is uncommon for bears to find themselves on Whidbey Island, but it has happened in the recent past. Whidbey is definitely a great place for sightseeing, apparently even for bears,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has information about black bears at this link. The information includes what to do if you encounter a bear.
WDFW said there are an estimated 20,000 black bears living in Washington. The agency said it receives an average of 500 complaints about black bears each year.
Those who see the Oak Harbor bear can report it to the WDFW communication center at 360-902-2936, or to the Island County Emergency Services Communication Center at 360-679-9567.
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