Killer bear: Woman's death inside her home marks California's first fatal black bear attack

[Zorro]

A 71-year-old woman who was found dead inside her Sierra County home last November had been mauled by a black bear, the first such fatal attack in California history.

Patrice Miller’s body was discovered inside her Downieville home on Nov. 8, 2023, by Sierra County Sheriff’s Office deputies who had been summoned to conduct a welfare check. Deputies discovered a grisly scene with evidence that a bear had been inside, likely for several days, feeding on the woman’s remains, authorities said.

Initially, investigators thought she had died prior to the bear’s entry. However, an autopsy report completed last month revealed that Miller was killed when the animal swiped or bit her neck, Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher told KCRA-TV.

“Black bears are not dangerous animals, but if they associate our homes or cabins or campgrounds as an easy source of food they lose their natural fear of people and their actions get bolder and bolder,” said Peter Tira, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “This is the most extreme example we’ve seen in state history.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-06/first-deadly-black-bear-attack-in-california

[samnsara]

1. oh maaaan..i go out every morning and feed the deer and wild turkey cracked corn...

...just one more thing I have to look out for. Im her age doing the same thing she was doing...... that could have been me.....

[Easterncedar]

2. I stopped feeding birds at camp when a bear took down my feeder

My next door neighbor in town kept the neighborhood entertained for a couple of years by throwing down food that attracted turkeys, deer and grey foxes, but rats followed them in, many many of them, and that somehow seemed less charming. Speciesist, maybe, but the other creatures weren’t moving into our houses. The feeding stopped.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. There aren't many animals I do fear in the Ozarks, but sometimes black bears will wander up from Arkansas

into the Ozarks, so I always have an eye out for these critters. They do put out bait traps (hang them from trees) that the black bears know how to get to, which is how they count black bear population. An innocent habit such as feeding any of the critters out in the woods can lead to unforeseen issues. My Mom and Dad had to watch their dogs and cats (they lived in a wooded area behind a state park) for the coyotes were pretty common around there. Bobcats too, but they were less common.

[markodochartaigh]

4. I put out one handful of food at a time for the

birds when I'm out in the garden. I have a lot of mango trees which attract rats when the fruit ripens so I have to be careful not to attract rats year round. I have run into bears at dusk in my garden twice. They are extremely difficult to see at dusk. Oddly, they don't seem to eat the mangoes unless they fall on the ground. I mostly avoid going in my garden at night.

[CCExile]

5. Bears might eat fallen mangos...

because they aren't old enough to buy beer.

[TeamProg]

6. Fed and State Park Rangers are adamant that if a particular bear gets too close to humans too often the standard is to

put that bear down. Of course we all do not want that.

They more bears become used to people as being food sources the far more dangerous they become to us.

You will get a ticket in Yosemite if a Ranger can see an exposed cooler of grocery bag in your vehicle that is not hidden.

[Martin68]

7. That animal needs to be put down as soon as possible.

No fear of humans and a taste for blood.

[2naSalit]

8. I call BS...

Bears are dangerous animals period.


The woman was attracting them and should have taken better measures to protect herself.

I live where we have both black and grizzly bears, it is illegal to leave your garbage in non-bear-proof containers and residents are expected to bring in the bird feeders during most of the year. If the bears don't get into something, the ravens will and they tell everybody else where the goodies are.

If you want to live in the woods, you have to learn how to live among your neighbors no matter what species they are.

[ZonkerHarris]

9. Stephen Colbert was right! Bears!

https://www.cc.com/video/f0uh68/the-colbert-report-threatdown-all-bear-edition

[PufPuf23]

10. Note that this instance was the first recorded fatality by a black bear ever in California.

Spent more time in forests with bears or bears in yard than most people.

I find more reason to fear large aggressive dogs or humans in boonies or in random auto accidents on the way to where might see a black bear assuming common sense,

That said, don't feed bears and be aware of bears with cubs, ill or during time of drought or other food uncertainty. Any area where there are bears plus human contact plus food, think campgrounds and rural dumps warrants being attentive. Bears like fruit trees too.

Sounds like the woman had been feeding animals too.

Can tell bear incident stories. Closest call was my beagle made a friend that was a black bear cub at work. We were a long way from truck on a steep slope densely cloaked with rhododendron. Grabbed beagle like a football but cub wanted with us and not with mother bear. Glad to get back to truck followed by the two bears. Know of two instances where bears moved into homes when no one was home. etc.

Made a post that could not find but is somewhere here at DU about contracts with Feds doing EISs on Tongass NF (SE Alaska). This was 30 plus years ago. The contracts included safety plans regards bears. There were wildlife biologists whose task was to study the bears. Where there were brown bears, work crews had to have an armed escort; where black bears, pepper spray was adequate but crews. Some individuals chose to work armed in any case. Brown bears are large, aggressive carnivores; black bears are omnivores and usually non-aggressive but sometimes curious.

[PufPuf23]

11. A WILD MORNING ON BROADWAY (Black bear relocation in California this AM)

Black bear with cubs this AM in a Monterey cypress tree by 101 in a Eureka commercial area. Four photos of bear and rescue at the link. Includes info about how the bears will be relocated and general info about agencies and wayward bears in California.

A WILD MORNING ON BROADWAY

Monday, 10 June 2024, 12:13 pm Lisa Music, Redhead Black Belt

This morning, southbound traffic on Broadway experienced slowdowns due to an unexpected rescue operation conducted by Humboldt Bay Fire (HBF) near Pierson’s Building Supply at the south end of Eureka. Both lanes of traffic remained open but many motorists slowed in an effort to get discover just what was happening in the tree just south of the building center entrance.

The traffic commotion involved a mama bear and her two cubs located in the tree. Earlier, motorists reported a mama bear and two cubs attempting to cross Broadway, a section of Highway 101 within the Eureka City limits. Crossing from the west to east side of the roadway, the mama bear led the way but her wayward cubs, perhaps spooked by traffic, made a U-turn and scaled the tree. Noticing their desertion, the mama bear followed suit, climbing the tree to join her cubs under the cover of the branches.

Humboldt Bay Fire was called to assist the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in safely removing the bears from their precarious position. The operation was delicate, aimed at ensuring no harm came to the animals or the responders involved.

According to Talia Flores, Public Information Officer for Humboldt Bay Fire, the rescue team initiated the plan by tranquilizing the mother bear. Once the tranquilizer took effect, HBF personnel raised their aerial ladder to gain access to the bears. A few limbs were cut to improve reach and visibility, allowing rescuers to safely retrieve the cubs first. The cubs were removed without injury, ensuring the safety of both the animals and the personnel involved.

Following the successful retrieval of the cubs, the team turned their attention to the mama bear. Ensuring she was securely positioned, the rescuers used the aerial ladder to bring her down safely. All three bears were then carefully placed into a truck for transport.

According to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the bears are categorized as “no harm, no foul” animals, indicating they had not caused any significant damage or posed a serious threat. According to Flores, the Fish and Wildlife agents stated they had approved relocation sites designated but were awaiting approval on their preferred option to relocate the mom and cubs to a state park location.

https://kymkemp.com/2024/06/10/a-wild-morning-on-broadway/