With Reports of Bear Sightings in Sammamish, Officials Remind Residents About Safety

Police and school officials are reminding Sammamish residents to use caution this spring as bear sightings have been reported recently, especially in the area.

On Friday morning, administrators sent an email to the school community about several reports of bears, as well as bobcats, in the area. The campus is at Issaquah Pine Lake Road Southeast and Southeast 32nd Way.

"These specific incidents are a good reminder that students are in the presence of wild animals every time they walk to and from school or play outside their home—not just when we receive an alert," school officials said in the email.

Sammamish police also have fielded a few reports of bears, especially earlier this week, Sgt. Jessica Sullivan said.

Recently, there was one incident in the city's southwest corner in which a bear had entered a chicken coop, which had fowl inside at the time, she said.

She was away from her office when contacted on Friday and did not have the police report on hand to give more details.  

Sullivan has not heard of any report this year of a person in Sammamish being harmed by a bear. She reminded people not to approach the animal.

"Securing food sources is a big thing. Storing garbage cans inside is important. Bird feeders are attractive to bears. I expect that when berries come out, they'll head back to higher elevations," she said.

A woman on Wednesday contacted Sammamish Patch and said she heard a report of three bears - apparently a mom and two cubs - in the area around 214th Avenue Southeast, on the city's west side.

She said she informed a Sammamish police officer at the .

On Monday, officials  in the Renton Highlands.

On the department's website, Sammamish police have posted information about bears in areas inhabited by humans.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife offers this advice about what to do in the presence of a bear:

• Stop, remain calm, and assess the situation. If the bear seems unaware of you, move away quietly when it’s not looking in your direction. Continue to observe the animal as you retreat, watching for changes in its behavior.
• If a bear walks toward you, identify yourself as a human by standing up, waving your hands above your head and talking to the bear in a low voice. (Don't use the word bear because a human-food-conditioned bear might associate "bear" with food. People feeding bears often say, "Here, bear."
• Don't throw anything at the bear and avoid direct eye contact, which the bear could interpret as a threat or a challenge.
• If you cannot safely move away from the bear or the bear continues toward you, scare it away by clapping your hands, stomping your feet, yelling and staring the animal in the eyes. If you are in a group, stand shoulder-to shoulder and raise and wave your arms to appear intimidating. The more it persists, the more aggressive your response should be. If you have pepper spray, use it.
• Don't run from the bear unless safety is very near and you are absolutely certain you can reach it (knowing that bears can run 35 mph). Climbing a tree is generally not recommended as an escape from an aggressive black bear, as black bears are adept climbers and may follow you up a tree.

Sammamish Patch also has a full article about bears in rural inhabited areas.