A black bear named ‘Massive B*****d’ stalked a 71-year-old California lady for months earlier than she was discovered mauled to dying – as shocked locals give stark warning: ‘It is easy pickins for them.’
Patrice Miller lived within the distant mountain city of Downieville. After the deadly assault she was discovered on the kitchen flooring savaged with chew wounds and claw marks, and was partially eaten, in line with the Sierra County deputy sheriff’s workplace.
Neighbor Cassie Koch, 55, who helped Miller with errands had not heard from her buddy and requested deputies to do a welfare verify earlier than the grim discovery was made.
Miller, who lived alone together with her two cats, had frequent run-ins with the bear – so typically – that she gave the animal a nickname. Koch mentioned, two weeks earlier than her dying, the bear tried to enter her house, however Miller was in a position to scare the bear off.
In September, Miller turned down a depredation allow from the State Division of Fish & Wildlife – thought-about a last-resort possibility that permits the animal to be shot earlier than it causes critical hurt, as per the division.
Koch described Miller, as a ‘variety one that wished the bear making an attempt to interrupt into her home to be eliminated however not damage,’ she instructed the San Francisco Chronicle.
Patrice Miller, 71, from the distant mountain city of Downieville was discovered lifeless from the deadly bear assault November 2023. She was discovered on the kitchen flooring savaged with chew wounds and claw marks, and partially eaten, officers mentioned
A black bear is pictured on surveillance digicam on November 2023
Miller’s dying is the primary documented human fatality brought on by a black bear in California’s state’s historical past.
Downieville, the place that assault occurred, has a inhabitants of 105 in line with a 2022 U.S. census.
The small city is situated in Sierra County, on the North Fork of the Yuba River, and is roughly two hours from the state’s capital Sacramento.
Koch, 55, a longtime resident instructed the information outlet: ‘After I was a child, you by no means noticed a bear on the town. Now, they’re throughout, making their rounds.
She added: ‘It is easy pickins for them.’
Koch mentioned that earlier than Miller died, she would typically speak up the bear that was making an attempt to enter her house, and was fearful.
‘Appeared like each different night time the bear was making an attempt to interrupt into her home,’ Koch recalled.
‘At first, it was like, ‘Oh, this pesky bear.’ However then she appeared scared about it.’
In response to a coroner’s report, Miller ‘had bodily hit (a bear) to maintain it from getting into her residence,’ as per the information outlet.
When Miller was discovered her home had been ransacked, the cupboards had been torn off and there was rubbish strewn about.
A state depredation allow was issued and a bear was trapped on the property and euthanized, in line with Fisher.
It took two days to catch the bear after the lure was positioned, as reported by The Mountain Messenger.
An post-mortem then revealed Miller handed away ‘attributable to a bear mauling or a swipe and a chew to the neck space.’
DNA checks confirmed that the primary bear euthanized was chargeable for killing Miller.
Miller lived in a rental house in Downieville together with her two cats. The city has a inhabitants of 105, in line with the U.S. census and is roughly two hours from Sacramento. Her house is pictured with wood boards on the home windows and door. The porch of the house seems broken
Officers defined that the bear that bothered Miller is understood by officers as a ‘public security bear,’ attributable to its repeatedly aggressive habits.
For additional safety, Miller had put in metal black bars throughout her home windows.
In response to officers, California’s black bear inhabitants has grown from roughly 10,000 bears to fifteen,000 since 1982 and as much as a staggering 65,000 as of final 12 months.
About 40% of the bears are believed to reside within the Sierra Nevada, the place there may be an an extra quantity of meals that’s accessible to them – and has invaded their pure ecosystem.
Consultants imagine that bears have discovered to really feel extra comfy in areas the place people are – making encounters extra frequent but additionally extra harmful.
