CLARK COUNTY, Wash. — One woman is still in shock after encountering a black bear while hiking near Lacamas Lake in Washington on Sunday afternoon.
Sue Francisco saw the bear not once, but twice while she was on the trail. She said while she was a little surprised to see a bear in the area, she wasn’t at all nervous when she saw the bear. Francisco said she made eye contact with it and tried to get even closer, one thing you’re never supposed to do. She said she was hiking the Woodburn Trail near Lacamas Lake on Sunday when she saw the bear.
“I’m a big nature lover and I was enthralled with the bear,” Francisco said. "He ran away from me, so I wasn’t afraid of the bear.”
What Francisco did next is what experts say you’re never supposed to do.
“He ran into a tree and he put his claws on the bottom of the tree like he was going to run up," said Francisco. "I forgot everything I was supposed to do when you see a bear — I looked right at him and I said 'It’s ok, don’t be afraid'.”
She thought that was the end of it and continued down the trail — then she saw the bear again.
“I thought he ran off like a deer and I thought I can keep going on the trail. A few seconds later, he bounced back on the trail and ran in front of me,” said Francisco.
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Britton Ransford with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said this was likely a black bear even though it has a brown coat. He also said they get reports of bears in the area several times a year. The area where the bear was spotted is near green space between the Washougal River and Lacamas Lake, where black bears travel.
A day after coming almost face to face with a bear Francisco plans to be better prepared in the future — and will remember what to do in case there’s a next time.
According to Ransford, here’s what to do if you encounter a bear in the wild.
Stop, try to remain calm and slowly walk away. If you can’t safely move away, try to scare the bear away by clapping your hands or stomping your feet.