Watch as black bear steals package off Washington porch, leading to warning
A porch pirate was captured on video lumbering off with a package near Ocean Shores — and now officials are issuing a warning.
That’s because the thief wasn’t a person, but a black bear.
And while the package the creature swiped had a sweater instead of food, state wildlife officials want people across Washington to be mindful when they have food delivered.
When bears get ready to hibernate in the fall and when they wake up come springtime, “they look for high-calorie, easy-to-find food sources,” the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife said in a Sept. 29 post on Facebook and YouTube.
“If bears get used to finding high-calorie food in an area, they will keep coming back. The best way to encourage them to move along and focus on natural food sources is by removing potential attractants,” wildlife officials said.
“If you order DoorDash, Uber Eats, or other food delivery services, please be sure to pick it up right away. Porch pirates come in all forms, including furry and four-legged.”
American black bears are found throughout Washington, except in the Columbia Basin, according to the fish and wildlife department’s website.
They eat plants and “will also prey and scavenge upon animals such as insects, mammals, fish, and birds,” per wildlife officials, who noted that “as human populations encroach on bear habitat, people and bears have greater chances of encountering each other.”
Bears tend to steer clear of humans, “but conflicts can arise especially when black bears become habituated to human-provided food sources,” wildlife officials said.
Experts advise residents do the following to avoid bear conflicts:
- Bring garbage cans inside or use containers that are bear-resistant
- Remove bird feeders
- Pick the fruit off their fruit trees
- Secure chickens and other small livestock
Ocean Shores is about a 75-mile drive west from Olympia.
This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 2:06 PM with the headline "Watch as black bear steals package off Washington porch, leading to warning."
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