Authorities say a woman whose body was found in a mountainous area last year was the victim of California’s first recorded fatal attack on a human by a black bear.
The fatal crash happened in Downieville, a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains about two hours northeast of the state capital, Sacramento television station KCRA reported Wednesday.
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On Nov. 8, Sierra County sheriff’s deputies were checking on a resident who had been missing for several days when they found a broken door and bear droppings on the front porch, Sheriff Mike Fisher told the department. Inside was the body of 71-year-old Patrice Miller.
“The bear had probably been there for a few days and had been feeding on the remains,” Fisher said.
It was initially thought that Miller had died before the bear arrived and that the bear may have been attracted by his scent.
Meanwhile, concerned residents have reported multiple bears returning to their homes, and Fisher said state trapping permits have been issued and bears have been captured on the property and euthanized.
A home in Downieville, California, is pictured on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. A bear that had repeatedly broken into homes and vehicles in Sierra County was killed this week after attempting to break into a school gymnasium, according to the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Miller’s autopsy results were subsequently released and first reported by local weekly newspaper, the Mountain Messenger.
“Patrice died as a result of a bear attack or a scratch or bite around the neck area,” Fisher said.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed this was the first recorded case of a black bear fatally attacking a human in the state.
“This is a big problem,” said Steve Gonzalez, a spokesman for the department. “That doesn’t happen in California. Bears typically stay away from people. They’re not used to human behavior.”
Investigators learned from Miller’s daughter that her mother had constant problems with bears trying to get into their home and had actually punched a bear on one occasion.
Since then, bear activity has decreased significantly since another bear became a problem in Downieville and was euthanized after trying to get into a school gym, the sheriff said.
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DNA testing confirmed that the first bear euthanized was the one that killed Miller.
Bears are becoming a problem in California, raiding homes and trash cans in search of food. From Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains to the foothills outside Los Angeles, some have reported raiding refrigerators and swimming in backyard pools and hot tubs.
