WORLAND — A roughly 75-pound black bear nicknamed “Par 5” led Washakie County deputies and wildlife personnel on a two-day pursuit through town after leaving a local golf course and foraging in residential trash, authorities and local reporting show.
Public-safety concerns, wildlife behavior
The young female bear was first observed on the golf course before moving into Worland, where she repeatedly slipped past officials while searching dumpsters and trash cans for food. The pursuit concluded July 2 when deputies and wildlife staff maneuvered the animal into a backyard tree; she was then immobilized with a tranquilizer dart and taken into custody, according to accounts of the incident.
“She spent a couple of days running back and forth and was in every single dumpster,”
The quote above, from a local photographer who observed the animal and helped popularize the nickname, underscores the pattern wildlife managers describe as food conditioning — when animals learn to associate human areas with easy meals. That conditioning raises risks for both people and animals by reducing natural avoidance behaviors and increasing the likelihood of dangerous encounters.
Why this matters for the community
Officials and wildlife experts widely caution that accessible garbage, open dumpsters and intentional feeding teach bears to treat neighborhoods as feeding grounds. That can lead bears to approach homes, pets and people, complicating attempts to return animals to the wild and sometimes resulting in euthanasia when threats emerge.
- Food sources: Dumpsters and unsecured trash attract bears into neighborhoods.
- Risk: Conditioned bears may lose fear of humans, increasing conflict.
- Response: Deputies and wildlife staff may use nonlethal capture, relocation or, in extreme cases, euthanasia following state protocols.
After the bear was darted, wildlife personnel were involved in its handling. The incident highlights the balance local authorities must strike between public safety and animal welfare when urban wildlife appears.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Animal | Black bear (female) |
| Approximate weight | 75 pounds |
| Location | Worland (washakie county) |
| Outcome | Treed, tranquilized and captured by deputies and wildlife personnel |
For residents, the episode is a reminder to secure attractants: keep trash in bear-resistant containers when possible, avoid leaving pet food outside, and report bold or aggressive wildlife to local authorities. Continued community cooperation is a key tool for preventing future encounters and protecting both residents and wildlife.
This event follows a pattern seen across parts of Wyoming and the West, where increasing recreation and human presence near wildlife habitat can elevate contact. Local officials say managing garbage and other attractants is a first and practical step communities can take to reduce similar incidents.
