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A juvenile bear’s attempt to reach dog food just outside a Colorado home had a tragic end for the animal.
On Friday, local authorities hunted down and euthanized a juvenile bear in Arriola, Colorado, hours after the animal has entered a woman’s property in an effort to reach dog food.
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife also reported that the beast has scratched the woman while it was trying to flee the crazed dogs. The animal entered the dogs’ kennel around 11:00 a.m.
According to the CWP, the animal swiped and accidentally scratched the homeowner when she was trying to get the dogs off of it. The victim declined to be taken to a nearby hospital but her injury received medical attention.
Hours after the incident, the bear was hunted down by wildlife officers and shot dead. The CWP explained that any wildlife that puts the life of a human in danger or injures a person must be killed according to the protocol.
Matt Thorpe of the CWP acknowledged that this Friday’s incident can’t be described as a genuine attack but out of safety concerns authorities decided to kill the young bear. They also wanted to know whether the bear had any disease that may threaten the woman’s life.
Rangers believe that the bear didn’t plan to kill or injure the woman but it was its instinct to protect the newly found source of food. A laboratory analysis showed that the bear was perfectly healthy and no pathogens were discovered in its blood.
Wildlife officers noted that the animal had made a habit of raiding homes. In recent months he killed several chickens and entered the grounds of other two or three residences. Ever since, authorities have tried to entrap it but with no success.
Wildlife experts explained that juvenile bears are more prone to do reckless things as they don’t have their own territory yet as adult bears do. Because they lack the strength to battle other bears for territory they are sometimes forced to live in marginal habitats where it is extremely hard to survive.
Thorpe likened those bears to teenagers that have just graduated school and are trying to find their own place in a larger world. Nevertheless, CWP experts cautioned that this is the season when bears are awake and active.
Authorities recommend people to take some extra measures to prevent similar incidents from happening. For instance, you should make sure that dog food, barbecue, and bird feeders are out of bears’ reach.
Additionally, if you see a bear, be it a cub, don’t get friendly with it. It is best to make a commotion to teach bears to stay away from humans.
Image Source: Wikimedia
