Two people were hurt by a black bear near a Whatcom County residence on Sunday. 

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife put out a delayed report on Tuesday, Sept. 15 about the incident, which happened on the evening of Sept. 13 on private property outside of Bellingham. 

A large black bear forages in a Washington forest. Two were injured in a black bear attack near a Bellingham home on Sept. 13, according to state wildlife officials. (Photo courtesy of WDFW)

According to WDFW, a man and a child sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at a local hospital, then released. The bear has not been trapped, but wildlife officers will continue to monitor the area and leave the trap in place for the next few days, a WDFW spokesperson said on Wednesday.

If the bear is caught, a determination will be made on whether to euthanize it based on discussions between biologists, wildlife conflict specialists, law enforcement officers and other experts.

WDFW did not share the location of the incident, but bear activity has been reported in recent months on the north shore of Lake Whatcom. On Aug. 15, a woman hiking with her leashed dog was chased by a black bear on a trail north of Lake Whatcom. 

Bears generally avoid people and attacks are rare, but in 2022 a jogger was injured during a black bear attack in the same area. That bear was euthanized by WDFW officers.

Neither Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office nor North Whatcom Fire & Rescue responded to any calls about an animal attack on Sept. 13 or 14. 

The department did advise that black bears are especially attracted to human-provided food sources like trash cans, pet food, bird feeders, outdoor grills and orchards during the fall as they prepare for winter. Storing such food sources securely can help reduce the risk of human-wildlife conflict. Learn more at WDFW’s Bear Resources page.

This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16 to include more information from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 107.