Community Corner

Bear Tries To Break Into State Fairgrounds In Puyallup

The bear seen recently at Good Samaritan Hospital is now in custody.

PUYALLUP, WA - The saga of Puyallup's wandering bear - dubbed "Smokey" by local police - came to and end on July 4.

The bear was caught Wednesday morning as it tried to scale the fence outside the state fairgrounds downtown near the SR 512 on-ramp. When approached, the bear climbed up into a tree, which is when state wildlife officers were able to tranquilize the animal.

On Tuesday WDFW community outreach officer Becky Bennett told Patch that the bear, once caught, would be taken to a remote location and released.

Find out what's happening in Puyallupfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The bear was spotted in multiple locations around the southeast part of the city this week. He was even caught on camera taking a walk Tuesday morning through the Good Samaritan Hospital campus.

Puyallup police noted that the bear was about two months early for the state fair.

Find out what's happening in Puyallupfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Image courtesy Puyallup police

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