Index, Washington – On Tuesday, wildlife officials in Washington killed a black bear and her cub who were in a tree behind a business in Index. According to a news release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials suspect that the adult bear may have been involved in an attack on a woman on Sunday.
The news release states:
Snohomish County Deputies and WDFW Officers responded to the residence on Sunday. Two black bears had been seen in the area: one large adult and one younger bear; possibly a sow with a cub. WDFW Officers, with the aid of dogs, attempted to locate the animal(s) but were unsuccessful. A trap was set in the area.
On Tuesday, Oct. 27, WDFW Police received a report of an adult and juvenile bear up a tree directly behind a local business in Index. Approximately 20 minutes prior to this report, a separate report had been made at a nearby residence of bears digging in garbage cans. WDFW Officers and Wildlife Conflict Specialists arrived on scene, located the animals, and observed trash directly under the tree. WDFW Police lethally removed both animals, which will undergo disease testing.
The woman who was attacked on Sunday morning sustained serious injuries requiring an overnight stay at the hospital. She was knocked over from behind while walking her leashed dog on her property in Index. The adult bear proceeded to bite and claw her, but she was able to get back to her home to call the police for help.
No word on how the wildlife officials definitively determined that the bears killed on Tuesday were the same bears involved in Sunday’s attack.
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