A woman walking her leashed dog near Lake Whatcom found herself being repeatedly charged and followed by a black bear on Saturday morning, in an encounter that has put Whatcom County wildlife officials on alert. The bear approached around 10:50 a.m. before the hiker was able to get away unharmed, according to wildlife officials.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife issued an alert after the incident, and officers responded with tracking dogs in an attempt to locate the animal, but they were unable to find the bear, as reported by KIRO 7 News Seattle. WDFW officers say they will continue monitoring the area with increased patrols. The agency did not disclose the name of the specific trail involved in the encounter.
Local Trail Groups Fill In the Gaps
While state officials kept the exact location under wraps, local trail users didn’t wait around for more detail. The Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition posted an alert identifying heavy recent bear activity in the Olsen Creek trail network off Y Road north of Lake Whatcom, according to Cascadia Daily News. The Olsen Creek State Forest covers 3,575 acres near the lake and includes more than seven miles of multi-use recreation trails developed jointly with local trail and equestrian groups, per the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
This isn’t the first time the area north of Lake Whatcom has seen a dangerous bear encounter. Cascadia Daily News notes that in August 2022, a black bear attacked a jogger in the same general vicinity, causing hand and foot injuries before WDFW officers located and euthanized the animal. It remains unclear whether the bear involved in Saturday’s repeated charges will face similar action if it is eventually captured.
Why the Leash Likely Mattered
Wildlife officials point to one detail from Saturday’s encounter as especially important: the dog stayed leashed throughout. WDFW safety guidance strongly advises keeping dogs leashed in bear country, since unleashed dogs frequently agitate or chase bears, turning a passive encounter into a predatory or territorial one, the same outlet reports. WDFW also recommends making noise while hiking and staying aware of surroundings to avoid startling a bear unexpectedly…