In euthanized three black bears, human remains were detected after being discovered nearby the location of a dead woman near Durango. The 39-year-old took her dogs for a walk on Friday in Trimble, which is near Durango.
According to Colorado officials, puzzled to find his girlfriend's two dogs outside their home on Friday night, her boyfriend searched for her. He came back home to the two dogs, but she was not there.
Bear Kills Woman
After a search spanned for an hour, he discovered his girlfriend had been killed by a bear while walking the dogs. According to Jason Clay of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, it is a devastating event. He added it is bear habitat, and bears are known to be there and expected to be present in the place, reported Idaho Statesman.
The incident comes less than two weeks following a wilderness guide in Montana being fatally mauled by a grizzly bear that authorities say probably was defending a moose carcass near Yellowstone National Park. Forty-year-old Charles "Carl" Mock was assaulted by an animal last week while fishing north of West Yellowstone near a campground.
A CPW statement indicated that wildlife officers responded and detected consumption indicators on the body and an ample amount of bear scat and hair at the scene. After an autopsy, an official cause of death will be released, reported HuffPost.
Wildlife officers euthanized a female bear and her two offsprings after detecting them with dogs. According to the news release, the body was found off US 550 near Trimble, north of Durango.
According to CPW Director Dan Prenzlow, "Whenever an animal is euthanized, we receive many questions about why that action was necessary. Our responsibilities to the natural resources of the state are many, but we have no more important duty than to manage these resources in a manner that keeps Coloradans and our visitors safe. Euthanizing wildlife is never an action our officers take lightly, but we have an obligation to prevent additional avoidable harm," reported KDVR.
Officials stated a necropsy, or animal autopsy, and DNA tests will be executed to confirm the mother bear, surmised to be at least 10 years old, assaulted the Colorado woman. Clay remarked anytime there is an attack on a human, their policy is to put the bears down, and their most important job is always to keep human health and safety in mind.
The euthanized bears are being transferred to CPW's Wildlife Health Lab in Fort Collins for an autopsy. Wildlife officers worked throughout the night and day to process the incident. They searched for evidence to authenticate that the incident was indeed a wildlife attack.
According to Cory Chick, the agency's southwest region manager, bear attacks are sporadic. He stated that bears in Colorado are now surfacing from hibernation. This was the first apparent attack CPW has received.
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