LAKEWOOD, Wash. (AP) — A black bear alarmed residents of a Lakewood neighborhood early Friday and then escaped from Washington wildlife agents even though it was tranquilized and tracked by a bear dog.
Sgt. Ted Jackson told KOMO Radio the bear got away over backyard fences and may have found refuge in a greenbelt.
The bear appears to be a couple of years old and could weigh several hundred pounds. It has been spotted over the past week in the Lakewood-Fort Lewis area.
Agents responded to 911 calls and shot the bear with the tranquilizer dart about 6 a.m. Friday. That failed to slow it down, and it even eluded the agents’ Karelian bear dog.
