ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- The suburban good life of Issaquah is being disrupted by some hungry natives on snack patrol.
Bears are showing up seemingly unconcerned about being seen in broad daylight, in the middle of neighborhoods as they forage through trash cans.
They seem to know when trash pick up days are -- and if they don't, some aren't above popping over a fence to get to one.
Fish and Wildlife officers say they can trap and remove the bears but they will just keep coming back until residents secure their trash. But now a local activist and Waste Management officials have teamed up on a possible way to deter the bears -- getting bear-resistant residential trash cans.
Like the one developed by Toter Inc., it looks just like a normal trash can to wheel out to the curb on trash day. It's even compatible with the automated lifts on Waste Management trucks. But this can has a locking mechanism on top and a bear resistant strip of metal around the lid.
The combination has made the can impenetrable to grizzly bears in tests (watch the video from Toter Inc. below) and is being used in Colorado, Alaska and other states. It's not available yet to Issaquah residents but it is being studied along with other products.
Waste Management officials and Cathy Macchio of the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project hope to come up with a plan to offer the cans locally soon.
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