SUMNER, Wash. -- State fish and wildlife officials trapped two bear cubs that climbed up a tree in a popular park on Thursday, but the mother bear - potentially the most dangerous - made it down and past the traps early Friday.

Until she is caught, state wildlife officials are recommending that people stay away from the River Valley BMX Park at Riverside Road East and State Route 410.

Officials said the mother bear and her two cubs climbed about 75 feet up a tree at the park around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

The sight of the bears sent several people running, some for safety and others for their cameras.

"The officer came out here and tried to keep people away from it," said Sgt. Ted Jackson with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

At around 8 p.m., one of the cubs finally climbed back down. By then wildlife officers had set up three traps at the base of the truck, anticipating the bears would be hungry after spending hours in the tree.

As officers predicted, the cub took the bait and was trapped. Caged, the cub cried out to its mother up in the tree. Officials hoped the cub's cries would would lure the other two bears down from the tree.

"The mother's going to protect her cubs. So if people get too close, she'll do whatever she has to to protect the cubs. That's when most of the incidents we're afraid of people getting hurt (in happen)," said Jackson.

Officers waited for hours and eventually, sometime early Friday morning, the other two bears came down.

The second cub went for the food and was trapped, but the mother bear kept going and remains free. She was spotted as recently as this morning within one mile of the 38-acre park.

"It's a little scary that mom's still running around," said one park user.

Jackson said they would move the trap to try to lure the remaining bear.

In the meantime, the two cubs were taken to the vicinity of Mount Rainier National Park and released in an area away from humans. If and when the mother bear is caught, she will be released in the same area.