This could be a dumb question but I come from a home that doesn't believe in dumb questions so I am going to ask...
Are there lots of bees in Portland? I am also on the West Coast and where I am I hardly ever see a bee. Even in gardens and I walk past, and I walk past plenty of those every day.
So, maybe, they are releasing this because of "guilt" for where he might be, as if to say, "He could get stung and become really injured, bring him home!!"?
I remember way back when I lost my cat I pulled that "guilt" card on the fliers her fliers to let everyone I could know that she needed her medication.
(I know Kyron's not a cat though, and yeah, I put that on the flier the first day she went missing.)
I just think that releasing this information has something do with what they know rather than releasing more information to salivate our palates.