[Stimpi]

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — A black bear alarmed residents of a Lakewood neighborhood early today and then escaped from Washington wildlife agents even though it was tranquilized and tracked by a bear dog. Sgt. Ted Jackson told KOMO Radio the bear got away over backyard fences and may have found refuge in a greenbelt. The bear appears to be a couple of years old and could weigh several hundred pounds. It has been spotted over the past week in the Lakewood-Fort Lewis area. Agents responded to 911 calls and shot the bear with the tranquilizer dart about 6 a.m. today. That failed to slow it down, and it even eluded the agents’ Karelian bear dog. Police also were in the neighborhood helping watch for the bear as children headed to school.