Staff writer
Fish and Game search for young black bear
COEUR d'ALENE -- A young black bear roaming in a Coeur d'Alene neighborhood kept students at school a little longer Wednesday.
The bear was spotted in the Pinegrove Park, Parkwood area and across Hanley Avenue. District officials held two buses at Ramsey Elementary and then called parents and asked them to pick up their children at school.
"Students whose parents could not be reached were delivered directly to their doors after 4 p.m.,
rather than at neighborhood bus stops," said a report on the district's Web site.
The bear was also spotted near Skyway Elementary and near the Industrial Park on Tuesday.
Jim Hayden, regional wildlife manager with Fish and Game, searched for the bear for about an hour Wednesday, but couldn't locate it.
"It's a bear that has been moving through the area," he said.
The bear, believed to be about 2 to 3 years old, is likely looking for food because a dry summer resulted in a berry shortage in the woods. It has been observed grazing on lawns, garbage and eating dog and cat food.
The bear is not considered likely to attack anyone and Hayden said it's not a dangerous situation.
"We urge people to be cautious, but not panic," he said.
If anyone spots the bear they should walk, but not run away, and definitely don't walk up to it.
"We want the bear to be isolated as much as possible," he said.
Pinegrove and Parkwood area residents should keep dog and cat food inside, put their garbage cans in the garage and remove any fallen fruit from trees.
Hayden said Fish and Game won't search for the bear until there is another reported sighting.
"It's a difficult situation," he said. "If it goes up a tall tree it can't be tranquilized. If it's on the ground, it's very difficult to trap because it's moving so much. So our options are limited. We are hoping it does like they usually do, and that's move off after a day or two."
Hayden said they're seeing similar situations throughout North Idaho and Western Montana. Fish and Game officers have been receiving between five and 10 calls a day reporting bears.
"It's not uncommon. There are bears almost every day on the edge of the town causing somebody grief," he said. "And we've had nuisance grizzly bears in other parts of the region as well."
Boise schools also had a bear near a school on Wednesday. Boise police and Fish and Game tranquilized a yearling black bear which had climbed a tree at East Junior High in Boise. Students at that school were kept on campus until the incident was over.
Joe Idaho wrote on Sep 22, 2007 5:30 PM: