Police Shoot Bear Dead in Washington After It Got Too Close to People

A bear was shot and killed in Washington state after police officers received numerous calls about the animal moving through a populated area of Moxee.

According to police reports, the bear was moving towards an open business in the city of around 4,000 people when an officer arrived at the scene.

The officer monitored the bear for some time, with the help of officials from the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and deputies from the Yakima County Sheriff’s office.

“In consultation with WDFW, it was decided due to the densely populated area the bear would need to be put down before it made it to a nearby neighborhood, or business,” the Moxee Police Department said in a statement. “The Moxee officer fired one shot and killed the bear.”

Washington state is home to two species of bear: black bears and brown bears (also known as grizzlies.) Brown bears can be distinguished by their humped blacks, longer, curved claws and steeper snout bridge. They are also slightly larger: on all fours, a brown bear tends to be 3 to 5 feet tall at shoulder level, while black bears rarely grow to above 3.5 feet, the National Park Service estimates.

The two species also vary in terms of their distribution. According to the WDFW, there are roughly 20,000 black bears in Washington which can be found throughout the state. Brown bears, by contrast, are considered to be a state endangered species and are mostly only present in the northeastern Selkirk Mountains and along the Canadian border in northern Stevens and Ferry counties.

In a Facebook post, the Moxee Police Department identified the bear in question as a brown bear, although it is much more unusual to find brown bears in this area, as several users pointed out. Many users were also critical of the decision to kill the bear.

“It’s a shame that a wild animal was shot when it could have been scared away with a loud noise,” commented one user.

“Pathetic… animals don’t stand a chance of survival around here. Either shot or poisoned or run over by cars,” said another.

Others pointed out that the bear had reportedly been found outside of the city center: “Y’all act like this was at the mall. No, this bear was out in farm country minding its own business.”

However, there were some who supported the officers’ decision to cull the bear. “Once the bear has found easy food source, trapping and relocation is a chance at best. Personal opinion, what they did was correct!”

To keep bears off your property, the WDFW recommends putting away bird feeders during the spring and summer, securing trash and removing any other attractants like pet food, fallen fruit and greasy barbecue grills.