More and more common in the lower 48

http://www.freerepublic.com/fo...f-news/3097584/posts


LONGWOOD, Fla. — A Longwood woman was out walking her dogs when she was attacked by a bear Monday night, according to the Seminole County Fire Department

That is one mile from the gate of the subdivision that I live in. There are lots is bears around. They are rarely a problem. I hope to find out more details.

I have the latest. The woman was out walking her dogs, 2 small dogs. The dogs became agitated. She carried on. She never saw the bear until it hit her.

Looks like traps are being set.

They caught a yearling last night.

I live in gated community and we don't allow bears in ours.

The bear was trapped and killed today.

I wonder how they know they got the right bear? Do they have a data base of bear paw prints or critter DNA? Wonder if they are bound by the same rules as police when it comes to conducting identification line-ups? Do the rabbit sheriff's have a CSI division? Haven't seen that one on t.v. yet but it's probably scheduled next season.

You don't suppose the game warden types for P.R. reasons and to calm the little old ladies, just execute a bear (or cougar) in the area and declare it's the one.

Bears love crackers. Eventually there will be so damn many people in Florida that you will have to go to a zoo to see a different animal.

quote:

Originally posted by Matt Norman:
I wonder how they know they got the right bear? Do they have a data base of bear paw prints or critter DNA? Wonder if they are bound by the same rules as police when it comes to conducting identification line-ups? Do the rabbit sheriff's have a CSI division? Haven't seen that one on t.v. yet but it's probably scheduled next season.

You don't suppose the game warden types for P.R. reasons and to calm the little old ladies, just execute a bear (or cougar) in the area and declare it's the one.

There was a physical description plus the bears DNA was on the lady.

I doubt that a DNA test was able to be completed in just 2 or 3 days since it was trapped!!!

The backlog at the State crime lab here for DNA is months on criminal cases unless it's a major high-profile case (meaning front page newspaper stuff with pressure from elected officials with juice).

But in a non-lethal bear attack?

I think it's game warden 101 that if/when there is such an attack, be it coyote, mountain lion, bear...they put on a good show with their efforts and if/when they trap something THAT is the bear. And certainly sometimes it is THE right critter.

But main thing is to calm the little old ladies and soccer moms. Make the bad news, old news.

We had the same thing here a few years ago. They got "the" bear [maybe] .
The problem that this camp had stupid people who were very careless about discarded food !
As for the FL woman she should have let go of the dogs and let the bear chase them !I don't suppose she would ever do that !

She never saw the bear until it hit her.

The FWC people trapped a total of 5 bears. These included a single boar, a single sow and a sow with 2 cubs (a 3rd cub escaped).

The 2 lone bears were euthanized on the basis of them appearing to match the general description of the bear involved in the attack. Give that the attack was at night, I assume this related to body size.

The sow with cubs was placed into a facility with cubs. This was due to the cubs. They did a DNA test on her. Guess what? It was a match.


They are moving her to Busch Gardens. They cubs will ultimately be moved to the Ocala National Forest. She will not be euthanized.

It appears the dogs agitated the bear who was simply protecting her cubs. The guilty bear lived while 2 innocent bears were killed. Go figure.