PETA Applauds Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife for Calling off Armed Search: Mother Bear Was Just Defending Her Cubs 

For Immediate Release:
June 17, 2026

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Sr. Vice President, Washington State Resident, and trail runner Lisa Lange in response to reports that Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife officials have reportedly called off their armed search for the mother bear who protected her cubs from a group of teenage hikers who got too close, leaving one of the teens with non-life-threatening, minor injuries:

PETA tips its hat to the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife for reportedly calling off this search and leaving this mother bear and her cubs in peace. She did exactly what any parent would do when startled by intruders in her home—she defended her cubs. Had she wanted to do more harm than minor scratches, she could have, but she didn’t. These trails are wild animals’ homes, not ours, and we must all give bears and other wildlife the space and respect they deserve.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.