May 25, 2006 9:44 pm US/Mountain
Wildlife Officers Kill Bear Who Entered House
by Anna Alejo
LARKSPUR (CBS4) ―
A baby bear was euthanized by wildlife officials who said they had no other choice after the bear entered a house in Larkspur on Wednesday. Officials said the bear was no longer afraid of people which could lead to dangerous confrontations.
An 18-month old bear cub entered a house in Perry Park on Wednesday where three girls locked themselves in a room and called 911.
"It's just not normal for bears to want to go inside of a house where there's people," said Tyler Baskfield with the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
Officials deemed the bear a danger judging from his behavior, so they killed it.
"Nobody here at the Division of Wildlife likes to put these bears down," Baskfield said. "It's just not a pleasant deal but in the interest of public safety, it's a necessity."
Four other bears were seen enjoying the scenery from a tree in the Garden Ranch neighborhood in Colorado Springs on Thursday.
"When we got up this morning, our trashcans had been knocked over and so it was pretty evident that a bear had been in the area," said Lee Fielder.
Bears will take the easiest route to gaining weight and wildlife officers said it's dangerous to get bears hooked on human habitat.
"We really need people to cooperate with us," Baskfield said. "Monitor their trash, not leave these attractants out and we can prevent these situations."
Keeping barbecues and other food sources locked up goes a long way to protecting wildlife and humans.
"It's their world too and I hope that they stay safe," Fielder said.
The Division of Wildlife wants people to remember a fatal attack in Tennessee as evidence that bears can be a threat to people. In April, a 6-year-old girl was killed when a bear approached her family in the Cherokee National Forest.
Officers said they expect to see more bears in warm weather.
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