The incident occurred on Sunday night at a home north of Lake Whatcom, where a black bear entered the property and mauled a father and his child. Both victims were taken to a local hospital, treated for non‑life‑threatening injuries and released, according to KIRO 7.
KIRO Newsradio host Jake Skorheim described the event on “The Jake and Spike Show,” saying, “They call it an encounter, but I think it’s safe to call it an attack. It’s not like they just met up and got a high‑five.”
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife responded by setting a trap at the scene and stepping up patrols in the area, though the bear has not yet been captured.
Officials noted this was the second bear encounter near Lake Whatcom within roughly a month. On Aug. 15, a woman walking her dog was chased and charged by a black bear on a nearby trail, as reported by the Bellingham Herald.
Wildlife officials are urging residents in the vicinity to secure trash cans, pet food, bird feeders and outdoor grills, warning that black bears are drawn to human food sources in the fall as they prepare for winter.
The attack became a topic of discussion on the KIRO show, where hosts also shared other wildlife close calls, including a brown‑bear encounter in Alaska and a near‑miss with bison at Yellowstone, underscoring the broader concern about human‑wildlife interactions in the region.