Media Alert 2 Black Bear Captured and Euthanized Salt Lake City (May 7, 2004) -- A black bear that wildlife officers believe attacked a man who was camping in Desolation Canyon Wednesday night has been captured and euthanized. Here are the latest details provided by Mike Milburn, a conservation officer for the Division of Wildlife Resources who flew into the canyon this morning: - Milburn and two members of USDA-Wildlife Services flew into the canyon on a Department of Public Services helicopter this morning (Friday, May 7) and arrived at the site of the attack at 6 a.m. - A 2- to 3-year-old female bear was in a snare trap that had been set at the spot where the attack occurred. - Wildlife officers believe the bear in the trap was the same bear involved in the attack -- its tracks match the tracks left at the attack site and it was cinnamon-colored, which matches the color of the bear witnesses say attacked the camper. - Second hand reports suggested there may have been two bears in the area, but wildlife officers have not found any evidence of this. As soon as members of the rafting group are available, wildlife officers will interview them to learn more about what they saw. - Once a black bear loses its fear of people and exhibits aggressive behavior by attacking someone, the bear cannot be trapped and moved to a new location (doing so would move a public safety risk from one area of the state to another and risk injury, and possibly death, to another person.) For this reason, the bear was euthanized at the spot where the attack occurred. The bear's carcass was flown by helicopter onto a ledge overlooking Desolation Canyon. - Tests will be done to determine if the bear had rabies, which is standard procedure anytime a bear bites a human. - Wildlife officers searched the river for several hundred yards up and downriver from the campsite and did not find any indication of other bears in the area. Bear Safety Tips Black bears are found across Utah and an incident like the incident in Desolation Canyon could happen elsewhere. To reduce the chance of encountering a black bear, people are encouraged to visit the DWR's Web site at wildlife.utah.gov/bear/bear_safety.html. In addition to the avoidance tips listed at the site, people visiting the Web site can also learn what to do if they encounter a black bear in the wild. Media Interviews The following people are available for media interviews today: In Salt Lake City: Miles Moretti, DWR assistant director, (801) 538-4734 * If you have any difficulty reaching Miles, please call Mark Hadley at (801) 538-4737 and he will find Miles for you. In Price: Mike Milburn, (435) 636-0277 (office) or (435) 820-6014 (cell phone) * If you have any difficulty reaching Mike, please call Brent Stettler at (435) 636-0266 and he will find Mike for you.
Attachment:
Media Alert 2 - Black Bear Captured.doc
Description: MS-Word document