SPOKANE, Wash. – A bear that had been causing problems in the Five Mile neighborhood in North Spokane for the past two weeks was shot and killed by wildlife officials on Monday.
Authorities said the 3-year-old male black bear had been spotted several times near the base of the Five Mile Prairie.
For the last several weeks, officials told KREM 2 News they had tried to trap the bear so it could be relocated.
They also said they attempted to drive it away by chasing it with specially trained bear dogs.
But officials said the animal refused the bait, and was becoming increasingly dependent on humans for food.
It had been rummaging through garbage cans and bird feeders, until Monday, when Fish and Wildlife officers closed in.
They said the animal could not be tranquilized and relocated because it was simply showing too much aggression towards humans.
Officials also said the bear clawed and fought with the bear dogs trying to help capture it.
Homeowner Aaron Crumbaugh has two young children and two dogs. He and his wife said they had spotted the bear multiple times in their backyard.
"If we heard the dogs bark, we were always looking out there, wondering if the bear was back," Crumbaugh said. "It was a little scary."
Neighbors in the area said they are used to seeing wildlife like deer and moose, but this was the first bear sighting.
