JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD — Washington state wildlife agents have shot and killed a black bear at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a sprawling military base near Tacoma. Agents say they think it’s the same bear that attacked a civilian base employee last week.
Wildlife agents with dogs had been looking for the bear since the April 16 attack. They came upon a bear Tuesday and tried to tree it so it could be tranquilized. However, the agents said that the bear instead turned aggressively on the dogs, so the agents decided to shoot the 300-pound animal.
The employee was attacked as he was running with his own dog along Engineer Bluff in the Lewis Main training area. He was taken to Madigan Army Medical Center for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.
Agents say they’ll test the bear’s fur to see if it matches fur found on the man’s clothing.
