Bears in Lynnwood

Two bears were spotted in Lynnwood Tuesday, resulting in an unsuccessful four-hour search by Fish and Wildlife agents.

Bears have been spotted in Shoreline in past years, both in the Echo Lake Neighborhood and in Hamlin Park. They were running through at full speed, not stopping for naps.

Here's the story from our news partner Lynnwood Today

Photo by Natalie Covate, Lynnwood Today

The first call came in at 10:50am, when the bears were seen near Whole Foods, located at 2800 196th St SW.

The Lynnwood Police Department and the Department of Fish and Wildlife then tracked the bears, apparently a mother and cub, from behind the Lowe’s Home Improvement store at 3100 196th St SW, to a wooded area next to Staples on the other side of 196th St SW. The larger bear then made her way across Alderwood Mall Parkway to a residential area near Alderwood Middle School and Heritage Park, then eventually to a residential neighborhood in the area of Poplar Way and 204th Street Southwest.

Photo by Natalie Covate, Lynnwood Today

The bear eluded officers by hiding in brush or ducking into back yards.

When the Department of Fish and Wildlife was prepared to try to capture the bear, it took off at a full run heading southwest. It eventually ducked into a large, heavily wooded area just west of the intersection of 212th Street Southwest and Larch Way, which is where it was last seen around 2:30pm.

Unable to capture the bears, the containment units dispersed just before 3pm.

The location of the bear cub is unknown, Lynnwood Police Cmdr. Sean Doty said.

If you see a bear, you are asked to call 9-1-1.

A bear was last seen in Lynnwood in 2011. The bear had to be killed to keep a neighborhood safe.

–Story and photos by Natalie Covate