What to do if you see a bear, cougar or coyote on a WA trail

In February, a group of cyclists was attacked by a cougar on a trail northeast of Fall City. A 60-year-old woman suffered neck and face injuries. Her friends fought the 75-pound cougar, pinning it beneath a mountain bike until Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers arrived and killed the cat.

This is a rare event in Western Washington. Not so rare are sightings of other carnivores like coyotes and black bears, as documented on Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle University’s wildlife tracker CarnivoreSpotter.org. The statewide map reflects citizen-reported carnivore sightings; it’s mostly coyotes, but bears, bobcats and cougars show up, too.

For instance: There have been six black bear sightings in Seattle in the past year, and many dozen more in the Cascade foothills. There have been four reported cougar sightings in Seattle since March 26, in addition to a few dozen coyotes the past month.

So imagine a coyote steps out of the trees on a greenbelt path. In a foothill neighborhood, a bear topples a trash bin. A bobcat passes through your backyard. On a trail, you sense a cougar is nearby.

What do you do?

Earlier this month, the city of Issaquah hosted a panel discussion, Coexisting with Carnivores, at which local animal and outdoor authorities shared stats and tips for safely interacting with these animals. Here’s what they said.

Black bears

The state of Washington is home to an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 black bears, said Kevin O’Connor, a wildlife conflict specialist for King and Snohomish counties with the WDFW. He describes them as “forest generalists” who range throughout forest habitats in search of any type of food.

That includes your garbage. Omnivorous black bears that live on the fringe of urban neighborhoods (and began emerging from hibernation in late March) see human trash as easy pickings.

“They’ll eat plants, animals and everything in between,” O’Connor said, from berries and grasses to young deer, elk and, yes, your trash. “They are extremely clever, but they’re just as lazy as they are smart, so they’re looking for easy food resources with a high calorie intake.”

So: What are humans to do if they encounter one in their yard or on a path?

“Put your hands up, stay where you are, yell, ‘Hey bear; hey bear!’ really loud, clap and make noise,” O’Connor said. “Try not to run away. That can be hard to do, but you don’t want to run.”

You can back up slowly while facing the bear and making noise.

“Most of the bears in urban or semiurban environments are learning to live with us,” O’Connor said. “We’re not on their menu. They really want to avoid us in most circumstances. But they’re drawn to attractants,” like bird feeders, garbage cans and chickens, for instance.

Another good rule of thumb: Do not surprise an animal.

“If you live near a greenbelt, you’re in bear country,” O’Connor said. “Unintentional encounters are a big concern. If you go outside, make some noise. Put a bell on your door, clap your hands. That lets a bear know that you’re a human who’s moving around.”

It’s rare that a black bear will confront a human in a predatory manner, but if one does, stand your ground and look tall and intimidating. If attacked, fight back.

Cougars

The no-surprise rule applies to cougars, too.

“When you’re out recreating, just like at home, let the animals know that you’re moving around. Those women [involved with the biking incident] did everything right,” O’Connor said. “These incidents are extremely rare. It was just a chance encounter.”

If you do face a cougar: Stop. Stand tall. Don’t run. (A cougar’s instinct is to chase.) Pick up small children. Face the animal, talk firmly, slowly back away.

Keep your eyes on it. Don’t turn your back. Don’t crouch or try to hide. Always leave the animal an escape route.

If it attacks, fight back aggressively. Use anything within reach (sticks, rocks, tools, backpacks) and try to stay on your feet.

Coyotes

Coyotes are omnivorous members of the dog family that typically weigh around 30 pounds. “They actually eat a ton of fruit and vegetation,” dispersing seeds through scat, said Sam Kreling, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the University of Washington Prugh Lab. They also eat rodents and invasive rabbits.

“Urban coyotes tend to be a bit bolder,” Kreling said. “They have a more varied diet because they’re not just eating their natural prey, but also eating the stuff we throw away. They live in much higher densities in urban areas because we leave food out for them. They can be found in pretty much every green space that exists.”

Kreling says coyotes do not stalk humans, but come May and June, when pups are in their dens, conflicts can arise. Dogs and humans may “get escorted by coyotes when they come too close to their dens,” but “attacks are exceedingly rare,” she said.

That may not be the case for your pet. In urban areas, Kreling says scat studies indicate 1% to 2% of an urban coyote’s diet consists of domestic cats. The lesson? Consider keeping your cat indoors.

Katie Remine, Living Northwest conservation manager at Woodland Park Zoo, suggests people store their garbage indoors, feed pets indoors, use wildlife-resistant trash cans and put trash outside only on pickup days.

“If you really care about wildlife, not providing them with food is the best choice,” said Remine, who is an advocate of humane “coyote hazing.”

“If you feel a coyote is getting too bold, too comfortable in your backyard, bang on metal things, shake keys, yell, clap,” she said. “Make it realize this is not a place where it should be spending time.”