Bear euthanized after breaking into trailer, attacking camper, wildlife officials say
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KCRA) – A bear in California was euthanized after it attacked a camper, according to officials.
Peter Tira with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the specific bear had a long history of dangerous behavior.
This behavior came to a head when a female camper was woken up at Eagle Point Campground by the bear attempting to get inside her trailer.
Tira said the camper had everything in the campground secured and had done all the proper diligence and maintenance to the campground.
She tried to scare the animal off by banging pots and pans and screaming.
“The victim in this case did everything correctly,” Tira said.
However, the bear was unfazed. It broke into the trailer and swiped at the camper, causing some significant injuries.
Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said they had been monitoring this bear’s behavior since 2023.
They said the bear gradually became more aggressive, leading to the attack on the camper, which led to the bear being put down.
“It went to another campsite. There were some teenagers sleeping inside. Van. Camper van. The bear broke into that, ripped open the door, destroyed the door,” Tira said.
Despite getting notice of bear activities, campers said they were upset to learn the bear was euthanized.
“We’re really sad about the bears because we’re really coming to spend time in their space, not the other way around. So it is very sad,” camper Kyla Griffin said.
Griffin said she and her family plan to be more cautious during their stay in the campground.
“We’ll just be super careful and use the bear boxes and do the right thing,” she said. “There was no pause or even thought of like, ‘Oh, we should maybe go somewhere else.’”
Wildlife officials said the best thing is to do your part to keep everyone camping safe.
“They will do anything possible to get access to that food. One way or another,” Tira said.
Copyright 2025 KCRA via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
