Marvin Cattoor/Courtesy
Marvin Cattoor took a photo of an adult male black bear crouching in a tree Sunday morning on Ranney Street. The bear also took refuge in a tree on Mack Lane, said Cattoor, who took several photos of the animal before it was euthanized by Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officials.
Bear euthanized in Craig
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Steamboat Springs — Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife officers euthanized an adult male black bear Sunday in Craig after attempts to tranquilize the animal failed, an agency spokesman said.
“Our officers did not put this bear down for any other reason other than the fact that it was a tagged nuisance bear and it did not look like it was in any hurry to leave the city,” said Mike Porras, public information officer for Parks and Wildlife’s northwest region.
The bear was reported Sunday to the Moffat County Public Safety Center, where the call was forwarded to Parks and Wildlife. The caller reported the animal was in the yard of a home near the intersection of Third Street and Mack Lane, Porras said.
The animal, which probably was searching for food, was estimated to be between 8 and 10 years old and weighed roughly 300 pounds, “which is a fairly large bear for this time of year,” Porras said.
Parks and Wildlife officers found the bear in a tree when they came on the scene.
“They tried to tranquilize it but for unknown reasons, the tranquilizer darts did not work,” Porras said.
The bear then escaped into Woodbury Park, but not before leaving a “bear-sized hole” in Robin Weible’s barbed-wire fence, she said.
From the park, the bear headed south of First Street. Attempts to herd it out of the area were unsuccessful.
“(Officers) really tried to get that bear to move away from town, but it really wasn’t in the mood, apparently, to leave the confines of the city there,” Porras said. “That’s when our officers made the decision that it was best just to put it down.”
Wildlife officials euthanized the animal south of the Public Safety Center.
Officers acted in accordance with a “two-strike” policy that allows them to euthanize bears that have been tagged for having human contact once before.
He cautioned residents to be mindful of bears and avoid leaving food out for them.
“It just speaks to the reasons that people need to remember to not provide human food to bears, whether it’s through trash or bird feeders or hand-feeding,” he said.
“As a result of that kind of interaction, we see a few bears having to be put down by our officers every year.”
Comments
Verleen Tucker 1 year, 1 month ago
I overheard a gentleman out at Twenty Mile Mine talking about what REALLY happened in Craig that lead up to the shooting of this bear. Too bad this reporter only talked to the authorities (who showed up in droves, by the way, to shoot the bear) and not the people who saw the bear, had the bear in their yard and tree, did not want the bear shot and thought the bear was only trying to get away. If we shot bears in Steamboat because they were in someone's yard or tree, we wouldn't have any bears left. Come on, Craig!
jerry carlton 1 year, 1 month ago
It is great that so little happens around here that people get concerned over a bear being killed. In major metropolitian areas multiple homicides are the rule on a weekend.
rhys jones 1 year, 1 month ago
I have a problem with the word "euthanize" as used in this case. While strictly defined as painless killing (questionable in this case) it also implies it is done as a favor to the subject, suffering some incurable and painful disease, for instance. This poor bear's biggest problem was he or she recognized an easy meal -- good thing that's not a shooting offense in people!! In other jurisdictions they might dart the poor fellow and relocate him to a remote area. Maybe more expensive and dangerous; certainly not as fun.
It sounds to me like a bunch of people wanted to do the deed, probably the same crowd who wants to shoot cranes, and pulls apart earthworms, just to watch them squirm, them being no more special than anything else.
(Sorry, Jerry, I just had to throw that in.)
Brian Kotowski 1 year, 1 month ago
Predators normally avoid people. Those that don't must be monitored, and sadly, destroyed if they continue to encroach after having been relocated. Good on DOW.
rhys jones 1 year, 1 month ago
Brian -- Yes, predators generally hang with their own. We're talking bears, right?
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