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Bear Mauling Could Have Been Sparked By Food

Bear Mauling Could Have Been Sparked By Food - Monday, October 5, 2009 at 6:00PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Monday, Oct 5, 2009 @ 06:00pm EDT
ROSS TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY --The owner of a black bear that mauled a woman had an expired exotic pet license. That's the word from the Pennsylvania game commission. The attack happened Sunday night at the home of Kelly and Michael Walz. They live along Dogwood Lane in Monroe County.

Police say Kelly went into the bear's steel and concrete enclosure. She tossed some dog food to distract the bear while she cleaned the cage. But the 350 pound animal turned and pinned Walz to the ground. A neighbor shot the bear but it was too late. Kelly died at the scene. As Jeff Chirico reports there could be a simple explanation for the attack.

"I just can't understand why all of a sudden the bear would just attack her" says one Leroy Weiss. Neighbors are trying to come to terms with the mauling death of 37- year-old Kelly Walz. It even surprises a man who's been raising black bears for 30 years. Jon Lowris co-owns Pocono Snake and Animal Farm near Marshalls Creek. He says "black bears aren't near as dangerous as other types of bears in the brown bear family."

Included in their exotic collection --a 325-pound black bear named Dillon. We're showing previously-shot video of her because the exhibit is being renovated. Lowris doesn't know the specifics of the attack but speculates what may have happened. "This time of year bears are more aggressive with food because they're trying to bulk up for hibernation and sometime they could read a signal wrong."

Some experts say Kelly Walz should have used a shift door to keep the bear in a separate section of the cage. Lowris admits that isn't common practice for his family. "We don't always use shift doors. We have personal contact with our animals as do most people with large exotics. This is just an unfortunate tragedy." It’s a tragedy that reminds us of the power and unpredictability of wild animals.
 


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