Washington – Wildlife officials in Washington state have been struggling to find and capture an “unnaturally large” black bear who is wearing a non-functioning GPS tracking collar that failed to fall off when it was supposed to.

Because of the bear’s size, and the existence of a collar that did not come off as planned, officials are concerned that the collar might be too tight around the bear’s neck. The bear has been spotted in the Issaquah area, and officials have set baited culvert traps in an attempt to capture him, but thus far the quest to catch him has proven to be fruitless.

Wildlife officials hope to find the bear not only for his own well-being but also because he has been a bit too comfortable around homes in the Issaquah area. In an email, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Chase Gunnell explained:

‘This bear has been repeatedly getting into garbage and other human-caused attractants and has become quite portly faster than it would feeding on natural food sources,. The bear’s feeding behavior and use of suburban areas also presents a potential for human-bear conflict.”

Anyone who spots a bear, in the Cougar or Squak Mountain area, is asked to contact WDFW at 360-902-2936 or enforcement-web@dfw.wa.gov.

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