Fur-Thee-Well: Bear Leaves Vashon Haunt By Ferry

No one is quite sure how the black bear got on Vashon Island. But he took the 9:35 a.m. ferry off.

After a four-day hunt, state Department of Wildlife agents captured the 3-year-old black bear yesterday and later released him in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

The nearly 200-pound bear became an instant celebrity on the island last month when resident Mark Bjerke caught him on videotape. Since then, the animal had made appearances in back yards all over north Vashon.

Sometime during the night, the bear's roaming came to an end. He walked into a large tube-shaped trap agents had set up. In the morning, they loaded him onto a truck and boarded the ferry.

"I'm glad they got him," said resident Debbie Lincoln. "He could have gotten hurt on the island."

The bear was the star attraction on the boat ride to West Seattle, said Tim Waters, Department of Wildlife spokesman. Agents reported dozens of people taking the opportunity - coffee in one hand, camera in the other - to get a close look at the bear.

Waters said the animal appeared healthy and remained relatively calm.

"His chances of survival (in his new home) are quite good," he said. "There are lots of berries for him to munch on this time of year."

Even Washington State Ferries was willing to give its special passenger a break.

"He didn't have to pay passage," said spokeswoman Susan Harris-Huether. "We don't have bear rates."