Updated Tuesday: Looks like the black bear is still on the run. At 9 p.m. last night, he was sighted near Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 160th Street — which meant he had crossed Interstate 5. Then a little before 6a.m. today a jogger using the Kellogg Middle School track reported seeing a bear heading into the Hamlin Park woods near Northeast 165th Steet and 15th Avenue Northeast. The district called police and is telling students to stay out of the nearby woods today, and if they see a bear, steer clear of it. The school is just east of the wooded Hamlin Park.
The young bear has been named the “Urban Phantom” by wildlife agents, led by state Fish & Wildlife Sgt. Kim Chandler. “The whole idea of the search was to help him,” says Chandler. “But he doesn’t seem to want our help, and seems to be doing OK.”
Urban Phantom has had a busy few days. The black bear was first seen in Discovery Park on Sunday before running through the middle of Ballard Monday and making his way to Twin Ponds Park in Shoreline. Fish & Wildlife officials don’t believe the small bear is dangerous.
Updated 3p.m. That is one fast moving bear and he has now traveled all the way from Magnolia to Shoreline. Wildlife officials believe the bear is in Shoreline at the Twin Ponds Park. They have just closed the park to try to contain the bear. KING TV coverage here.
Updated 7:30 a.m. It appears the Magnolia bear moved on to Ballard overnight. Seattle Police and wildlife officers spent most of the early morning hours trying to capture a small bear who ran through yards and down back alleys, first spotted at 15th Ave. and 77th St. just after midnight. My Ballard reader Silver tracked the police calls in the forum here. Wildlife officers were armed with tranquilizer darts and a tracking dog, and they told the crew from My Ballard to stay in the car as they followed the chase at a safe distance.
But the bear was too quick. By 3 a.m., it had disappeared in the area around 11th Ave. and 92nd St. Officers decided to call off the pursuit, but the animal resurfaced at 5:30 a.m. at 133rd and Meridian. An officer on scene early this morning told us they believed this is the same black bear that was reported yesterday near Discovery Park, and that it probably made the swim over the Ship Canal to Ballard.
Two different people reported seeing a black bear in Magnolia early Sunday. The first report came in around midnight from a caller who said that they believed a bear was wandering in their yard in the 5600 block of 39th Avenue West. The caller reported that the bear then wandered out of the yard. The second call came in at around 6:45 a.m. from a resident in the 4200 block of 34th Avenue West. That person stated they believed the animal was headed toward a ravine east of Discovery Park.
Magnolia resident Albert Lee came face to face with the animal.
“A black bear jumped out over the edge of the flowers here and just lumped along and headed straight through to my neighbor’s house,” said Lee. He said he’s never seen anything like it. “My first impression was that’s a mighty big black dog, I wonder what neighbor’s dog (it is)…then it clicked in – look at the butt on that thing. That is a bear,” Lee said. “Probably two, 250 pounds. Butt, body, head. Pretty straight forward. I saw enough of it to know that it was clearly not a dog.”
There have been no additional sightings since Sunday in Magnolia. Seattle Police say they are aware of the calls and are monitoring the park. The Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Parks Department have been notified and they are aware of the possible sightings.
We received a number of emails from residents who tell us the bear sightings are the talk of the neighborhood today. If anyone does see a bear, call 911. Click here for information from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Update: Police and wildlife officials are tracking a bear in Ballard early Monday morning. A police officer said they believe the bear may have swam over from Discovery Park.
