Freeway Bear Captured

STANWOOD, Wash. -- Late Thursday night, wildlife officials were able to trap the black bear that was making a freeway median between the north and south lanes of Interstate 5 near Stanwood its home.

As a KIRO news crew was returning from another story in Skagit County Thursday night, they happened upon wildlife agents loading the steel bear trap with the adult black bear trapped inside.

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Agents told KIRO's Gary Horcher that the bear was caught around 11 p.m.

"(The bait) was kippered herring, doughnuts, salmon, bacon grease, syrup and honey. Everything in that burlap bag was gone. Can't say he didn't have a treat," said Sergeant Joe Orfor of the Stillaguamish Police Department.

The bear, which was tranquilized Friday morning, will be tagged and taken to the Mount Baker area. Officials want to find an area without snow so the bear's normal activities won't be disturbed.

Wildlife agents said they knew the bear was living in the 60-acre greenbelt for the last three years, eating grass and skunk cabbage, but hadn't been a threat to anyone until the animal was spotted wander too close to I-5.

On Thursday morning, Chopper 7 was live over the bear as it ate grass and ran across an open area.