The Talking Bear
- Classification (Hynek): CE3.
- Witnesses: Greg & Stephanie McKay.
- Time & Place: July 6 1985; Greenwater, Pierce County, Seattle.
- Entity Type (Lawson): Animal.
- Craft: None seen.
- Summary: A talking bear harasses campers.
Evicted!
On the morning of July 6, 1985, a pair of campers phoned the Pierce County Sheriff's department to complain that they had been forced to prematurely abandon their campsite - by a talking bear!
Talking bear.
The incident occurred just before dawn. "We were camping and a bear attacked the tent," Stephanie McKay told the Seattle Times. "We were in the tent at the time. You may think this sounds crazy, but the bear talked to us".
"It asked us what our names were and whether we had permission to use the campsite. We said we had gotten permission, but the bear told us to get off the property immediately. We ran like anything."
As the couple hastily packed their belongings, the 8-ft-tall brown bear reared up on its hind feet and pelted them with rocks.
"It must have weighed almost a ton," Stephanie claimed. "It was big and hairy. It didn't sound human. It had a very high-pitched voice."
The Deputy Investigates
Officers from Greenwater Fire Department investigated the site of the encounter. They found "no signs of a struggle" and reported that the only tracks visible were those of "a large dog". Meanwhile, Deputy Sheriff Bob Hoffman interviewed the local residents.
Non-talking bear.
"On Friday night there were some people of the Greenwater community who told the couple their campsite was on private property and the fire danger was high," Holman told the press. "The wording the community people used is almost identical to the wording the couple says the bear used."
"It could be that they did see a bear sometime that night, but there are no bear tracks. The bears that are up there are not 7 to 8 feet tall. And the bears that I've seen have never spoken to me and have never thrown rocks at me."
"My conclusion is that the report is unfounded. It's probably the result of an overactive imagination coupled with the request that they leave the area. The couple was on private property, and they did have a fire."
Hoffman declared the case closed, adding, "If we have any more sightings of talking bears or bears that throw rocks, I'm not sure I'm going to let anyone know. I'm tired of getting media calls from all over, anywhere from Boston to Hawaii!"
Sources
The Seattle Times, July 7-10 1985.