At least two black bears have been spotted in the Sequim area in recent weeks, according to Department of Fish and Wildlife staff.
An Olympic Discovery Trail user spotted a bear by the Dungeness River Railroad Bridge and shared video with Dungeness River Nature Center staff, who posted the sighting June 14 on social media.
The bear was scared off by the trail user, staff said.
On June 18, Marlene Rollins spotted a black bear around lunch time in her Woodland Heights neighborhood off Sequim-Dungeness Way.
Rollins said her neighbor spotted it first through the fence, and she went to her home’s second story to snap a photo. Her neighbor has lived in the area about 15 years, she said, and has never seen a bear in the area.
Bridget Mire, coastal region communications specialist for the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said they received reports of the bears on June 16 and 18, and that there may be two bears that are yearlings in and around Sequim.
“This is about the time that they would be leaving their mothers to venture out on their own,” she said.
A handful of black bear sightings each year are typically spotted outside of Sequim north of U.S. Highway 101, Mire said.
Preventing encounters
According to Fish and Wildlife’s website (wdfw.wa.gov/blackbears), “American black bears are the most common and widely distributed bears in North America and occur throughout most of Washington with the exception of the Columbia Basin.”
Mire said “food sources provided by humans, whether intentionally or not, can attract bears.”
“Bears will keep coming back if they know they can get food from your home,” she said.
Fish and Wildlife staff urge residents to remove bird feeders, secure chicken coops and beehives, pick fruit trees, feed pets inside, secure garbage cans in a shed or garage and put them out the morning of pickup.
For meat waste, they recommend freezing it before disposing of it, and spraying garbage cans with disinfectants.
To protect beehives and chicken coops, they also recommend installing an electric fence with at least five electrified wires and the lowest wire being about 8-12 inches above ground, and the top wire at least 36-42 inches high.
“Bears that become accustomed to human-provided food sources may lose their natural fear of people, which can become a public safety concern,” Mire said.
“Removing these attractants is the best way to encourage bears to move along and focus on natural food sources.”
Encounters
Generally, black bears are not aggressive and attacks are rare, Mire said.
“As with all wildlife, it’s important to keep a safe distance from bears and give them plenty of space,” she said.
If you encounter a bear and it appears unaware of you, Fish and Wildlife staff recommend moving away quietly when it’s not looking. Do not run, they said.
If it approaches you, stand tall, wave your hands above your head, and talk to the bear in a low voice, staffers recommend.
If it continues toward you, clap your hands, stomp your feet, and yell.
Mire said the two black bears in Sequim have had no serious damage reported, and Fish and Wildlife has been educating residents on how to protect their properties and animals.
Both River Center staff and Woodland Heights’ homeowners association posted or sent out notices after each sighting with guidance about bear encounters and how to prevent them.
Decisions to relocate or lethally remove black bears are made on a case-by-case basis, Mire said.
For more information on black bears, visit wdfw.wa.gov/blackbears.
Photo courtesy the Dungeness River Nature Center A trail user of the Olympic Discovery Trail snapped a video of a black bear by the Dungeness Railroad Bridge in recent weeks. Fish and Wildlife staff say they’ve received reports of at least two black bears, likely yearlings, in the Sequim area.
