Oregon State Police say a woman ended up in the hospital after a group of people cornered a small black bear near Gold Hill. Sources report that the bear died after another bystander shot it when the animal charged.
NBC5 says the group stopped their vehicles on Sams Valley Road to photograph and approach the young bear. An incident report says the onlookers eventually trapped the bear against a fence. One woman tried to feed the stressed bear a dog treat. The bear charged and bit her.
Emergency crews transported the woman to Rogue Regional Medical Center. OSP described the injury as “significant.”
Both outlets report that a second person who stood near the woman also felt threatened. That bystander shot and killed the 76-pound female bear. Troopers collected the carcass for rabies testing.
The Times-Independent reports that Oregon State Police referred three people to the Jackson County District Attorney. The group faces misdemeanor counts of chasing or harassing wildlife. The individuals include a 50-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman, and a 74-year-old man.
Neighbors watched the scene unfold and expressed frustration. One resident named Jessica Lee told reporters that she stopped her vehicle only to avoid hitting the bear and to call wildlife officials for help. She said the animal paced along a fence and looked stressed before the crowd gathered.
“It was not a case of this bear walking up and attacking her,” Lee said. She added that the woman approached the bear and tried to give it a dog treat. Lee said the entire incident “could have absolutely been prevented.”
Both sources report that the yearling bear was about one and a half years old. Wildlife officials expect rabies test results later this week.
OSP and ODFW continue to investigate the case. The Jackson County District Attorney will decide whether to pursue the charges.
What say you? Should the trio face charges for allegedly cornering and trying to feed the black bear?
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