Kelly Ann Waltz was mauled by her pet black bear on Sunday and died in Ross Township, PA, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Kelly Ann Walz, 37 entered the 15 x 15 cage to feed the 350-pound bear and clean its cage, and the bear mauled and killed her. A neighbor shot and killed the bear.
The woman also had a permit to keep a Bengal tiger and an African lion, and several visits from investigators showed everything was in order. Kelly Ann Waltz’ husband sells exotic animals, but local police said he let his license expire about a year ago. Black bears can live 20-25 years, and typically reach maturity at 4-5 years old.
A normal diet for a a black bear is nuts, berries, insect, grasses, roots and other vegatation, young deer and moose calven, and spawning salmon. Black bears are smaller than brown bears, but there are more of them in North America. A black bear is also more likely to attack humans than a brown bear.
In August, a 78 year old man was attacked by a black bear near a Utah campsite. The bear was looking for food, and attacked the man while he was sleeping in a cot near a creek. The man’s family shot the bear, and it wandered off and died 150 feet from the campsite. For the full story,
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Although people enjoy watching bears in the wild, bear attacks are on the rise, according to Bear Planet. Just learning a few safety steps may save a life. Never look a bear in the eye, don’t run away, and making loud noises may startle them into attacking. Keeping bear spray with you is helpful if hiking or camping in wooded areas, according Bear Planet.
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