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The euthanization of a mother bear that broke into a trailer and attacked a camper in South Lake Tahoe has sparked widespread debate online.
A woman was startled awake at around 4.30 a.m. on Sunday to find an American black bear pawing at her locked door at Eagle Point Campground in Emerald Bay State Park.
The light-furred sow had two five-month-old cubs along with a “long history of human conflict, including multiple home invasions and vehicle break-ins,” according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The camper banged pots and pans and screamed in an attempt to scare the bear. Despite her best efforts, the animal managed to force its way inside.
The bear swiped at the woman, leaving her with cuts and bruises on her arm, wrist, and hand that required hospital treatment.
In another incident later that morning, the bear clawed at the door of a campervan, ripping it open as teenagers slept inside.
DNA evidence linked the bear to a spate of disturbances and attacks, which led to it being labeled as “Public Safety Bear.” It ultimately meant it had to be targeted and “humanely euthanized,” according to the CDFW’s black bear policy.
A state park ranger shot and killed the bear on Monday near the campground, CDFW spokesperson Peter Tira told SF Gate Thursday.
The bear’s death has sparked a wave of anger online, with many pointing fingers at humans for encroaching on bear territory.
“Funny how humans move into a bear's territory and then kill said bear because they become a nuisance...in their own home,” one furious Facebook user responded to the CDFW’s post about the incident.
“Humans have endless places they can go. Bears don't, thanks to humans,” another added. “Killing an animal because it's a nuisance is wrong.”
Meanwhile, a third Facebook user thanked the CDFW for “making the tough decisions,” adding: “Keep up the good, hard work!”
The sow’s cubs have been orphaned and are being housed in a rehabilitation facility, with the hope that they can one day be returned to the wild.
“As wildlife professionals who devote our careers to the health and well-being of California’s fish and wildlife species, euthanasia is a measure of last resort,” said Morgan Kilgour, regional manager for CDFW’s North Central Region.
“Our foremost responsibility, however, remains the protection of human life and the safety of the Tahoe region.”
The agency stated that it had been attempting to trap the bear since June 17, following multiple 911 calls. The animal failed to respond to seven attempts to haze it out of human-occupied areas.
California has the largest population of black bears in the continental U.S., according to the department.
Human‑bear interactions are especially high and urbanized in South Lake Tahoe. The region was home to the infamous 500lbs “Hank the Tank,” who broke into dozens of homes in 2022.
The region is home to more than a third of all bears in the Tahoe Basin, with about 500 on the South Shore alone, according to South Tahoe Now.
