DOW agents investigate the scene at Donna Munson's home outside Ouray, Colorado. (August 8, 2009)
OURAY, Colo. -
Wildlife officials say a bear was found feeding on the body of a 73-year-old woman who had been repeatedly warned not to give dog food to the bruins that live near her home north of Ouray.
A caretaker said she saw the bear over the woman's body Friday and called 911. The victim was identified as Donna Munson.
Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman Joe Lewandowski says it's unclear if the bear killed Munson of if she died of other causes. He says she was known to feed bears dog food and would not stop, even after repeated requests from wildlife officials.
Sheriff's deputies investigating the incident killed an aggressive bear at the Munson's home. A necropsy is planned for the 250-pound male to determine the contents of its stomach.
DOW had visited the home dozens of times over the past decade to investigate reported feeding, but officers were met with no cooperation, officials said. Efforts to trap nuisance bears on the property were rejected numerous times. In early July, a caretaker at the residence, concerned about safety, asked Division of Wildlife officers to place traps on the property to address problems with aggressive bears.
On the first day that traps were placed, two bears were trapped and euthanized, DOW said.
Munson had constructed a metal fence that covered her porch so that she could feed bears through the fence.
Bears that become habituated to human food are dangerous. The Division of Wildlife has used an aggressive public education campaign to explain to people for many years that "a fed bear is a dead bear". Education efforts and regulations have been utilized to highlight the risk of bear feeding - not just to the people who feed wild animals but to the animals that are fed and must be put down as a result.
Munson's body is being examined by the Montrose County Coroner's Office.
A caretaker said she saw the bear over the woman's body Friday and called 911. The victim was identified as Donna Munson.
Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman Joe Lewandowski says it's unclear if the bear killed Munson of if she died of other causes. He says she was known to feed bears dog food and would not stop, even after repeated requests from wildlife officials.
Sheriff's deputies investigating the incident killed an aggressive bear at the Munson's home. A necropsy is planned for the 250-pound male to determine the contents of its stomach.
DOW had visited the home dozens of times over the past decade to investigate reported feeding, but officers were met with no cooperation, officials said. Efforts to trap nuisance bears on the property were rejected numerous times. In early July, a caretaker at the residence, concerned about safety, asked Division of Wildlife officers to place traps on the property to address problems with aggressive bears.
On the first day that traps were placed, two bears were trapped and euthanized, DOW said.
Munson had constructed a metal fence that covered her porch so that she could feed bears through the fence.
Bears that become habituated to human food are dangerous. The Division of Wildlife has used an aggressive public education campaign to explain to people for many years that "a fed bear is a dead bear". Education efforts and regulations have been utilized to highlight the risk of bear feeding - not just to the people who feed wild animals but to the animals that are fed and must be put down as a result.
Munson's body is being examined by the Montrose County Coroner's Office.
