06:35 PM PDT on Thursday, May 18, 2006

By JIM FORMAN / KING 5 News

ISSAQUAH, Wash. - A wild bear that’s been an all-too-frequent visitor won’t be hanging around the Issaquah Highlands any more.  The bear returned Wednesday night, but wildlife officials were ready. 

The bear had been making menacing gestures and showing aggression to residents the past month.   After days of taunting neighbors, the bear returned.  This time, a resident was ready with a video camera, along with the state’s bear expert, who was ready with a tranquilizer gun.  

"So then all of a sudden he kind of jumped and pounced almost - took a step forward and kind of swiped with his paws,” said Daniel, the resident who videotaped the bear.  “And that's when you see my camera and it kind of drops and I turn and run inside." 

KING

A video still of a bear spotted in the backyard of a home in Issaquah, WA home. May 17, 2006.

Wildlife agent Rocky Spencer moved in and hit the mark: the bear was hit with a tranquilizer dart.  Once the bear was knocked out, she was put in a cage. 

"We weighed her. She's a 200 pound female," said Spencer. "This is a very big female bear."

The bear had been making regular visits to neighborhood dumpsters.  Wildlife officials had been tracking another bear and thought they shot and injured it a couple of nights ago.  But when they tranquilized and examined the bear captured Wednesday night, they discovered it wasn't the bear that had been shot.

Wildlife officials released the bear far away from the Issaquah Highlands.

 “Things went really well. Turned out well for the bear, turned out well for the people that live here," said Spencer.