Wildlife biologists aren't sure why this particular bear chased after the runners.
A young bear that chased two runners in Granby's McLean Game Refuge on Monday has been euthanized. Officials from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection are hoping a necropsy will give them clues about the bears unusually aggressive behavior. One test result late Wednesday showed the bear did not have rabies.
A 911 call was obtained by The Hartford Courant from one of the two runners chased by the bear.
A partial call transcript is below:
Dispatcher: Granby 911, where's your emergency? Runner at McLean Game Refuge: Uh...McLean Game Refuge. Dispatcher: Yes. Runner: A black bear has got me cornered here. Dispatcher: Okay, I've got an officer on the way. Runner: Okay. He's, like, right on top of me, here. Go on! Get out of here!
On Monday night, wildlife experts from DEEP trapped a bear matching the runner's description, and later euthanized the animal.
The bear was described by DEEP as a 16-to-17-month-old yearling male weighing 120 pounds. There were no tags on the bear.
According to DEEP spokesman Dennis Schain, a female bear will scare off someone if they get too close to their cubs. But in general, black bears are rarely aggressive towards humans.
Wildlife biologists aren't sure why this particular bear chased after the runners.
A map of the McLean Refuge is below:
"It's possible that it was overly aggressive in staking out and protecting what it saw as his territory," said Schain. "One thing [DEEP wildlife biologists] will look for is rabies. It's possible, but pretty rare."
The bear will undergo a necropsy at the Pathobiology Laboratory at the University of Connecticut to help determine whether the animal had rabies or some other health issue that would have prompted the pursuit of the runners. The results will be ready in a few days.
The DEEP stresses the behavior of this bear was very unusual, and asks everyone enjoying the outdoors to follow some common sense rules. People should never try and feed bears in the wild. If you encounter a bear while hiking or camping, wave your arms and make noise, but keep your distance, and back away from the bear.
More information about black bears is available at the DEEP website.
