EUGENE, Ore. — A young bear initially raised concerns for community members in the South Hill area of Eugene, after lingering around a public road last Thursday morning, on July 16. Chris Pedersen, a Fox Hollow resident, initially spotted the bear at 9:00 a.m.
“I thought it was strange that the cub didn’t scamper back into the woods with me looking at it and my dog barking,” Chris Pedersen said.
In an effort to steer the small bear back into the woods, away from moving cars, residents placed fruit about 50 feet off the main road. This worked for a short amount of time, but eventually the bear returned to be seen laying down in the road, according to Pedersen.
Two hours after the initial siting, Pedersen says the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) were called by a fellow concerned neighbor, who was told to “let nature take its course.” He says once more neighbors called with concerns, ODFW and Oregon State Police arrived on scene.
When attempting to capture the bear, it tried biting at ODFW biologists and OSP officers, according to ODFW Public Affairs Specialist Meghan Dugan. ODFW says the bear was in bad condition. Its hair was disheveled, constantly pacing back and forth between houses. The ODFW biologists noted the 38-pound yearling would walk with his head down, a possible sign of illness…