Dry weather could lead to more bear sightings

Western Washington’s current dry stretch could lead to more bear sightings in Western Washington later this month, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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Washington is currently experiencing an extended period without rain.

Bears eat a lot of grass in the spring, but that’s now dried up. They are focused on blackberries this time of year but when the berries are gone, it is possible the dry weather will keep other plants from bearing fruit, according to Sgt. Kim Chandler.

Chandler says there have been about 530 bear sightings and nuisance calls so far this year, it’s up a little bit from last year. It’s what we could see at the end of August and into September and October that has him asking residents to take down their bird feeders and secure their trash if they haven’t already.

“It’s a people problem, not a bear problem,” Chandler said.

He said people really need to pay attention to neighborhood social media reports and if there is a known bear in the area, residents need to put garbage cans in the garage and take down the bird feeders.