Elderly Woman Mauled to Death by Black Bear in Remote California Town
A 71-year-old woman, Patrice Miller, from Downieville, California, was found mauled to death in her home by a black bear she had nicknamed "Big Bastard." The attack, the first documented human fatality caused by a black bear in California's history, has left the small mountain community in shock.
Miller's body was discovered on her kitchen floor with severe bite wounds and claw marks, partially eaten, according to the Sierra County Deputy Sheriff's Office. Neighbor Cassie Koch, 55, who often assisted Miller with errands, requested a welfare check after not hearing from her friend, leading to the grim discovery.
Miller, who lived alone with her two cats, had frequent encounters with the bear. Two weeks before her death, the bear attempted to break into her home, but Miller managed to scare it away. Despite these dangerous encounters, Miller declined a depredation permit from the State Department of Fish & Wildlife, which would have allowed for the bear to be shot as a last resort.
Koch described Miller as a "kind person who wanted the bear trying to break into her house to be removed but not hurt," according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Miller's reluctance to harm the bear ultimately led to her tragic death.
Steve Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the Department of Fish & Wildlife, emphasized the rarity of such attacks in California. "Normally a bear is going to stay away from you, a bear that hasn’t been normalized to human behavior," he said.
Downieville, with a population of just 105, is a small town located on the North Fork of the Yuba River, about two hours from Sacramento. When deputies arrived at Miller's home, they found her front door broken down, the interior ransacked, and bear scat on the porch.
Koch, reflecting on the increased bear activity in the area, said, "When I was a kid, you never saw a bear in town. Now, they're all over, making their rounds. It's easy pickins for them."
Following Miller's death, the bear continued to return to her property, prompting officials to install plywood over the front door and secure it with dozens of screws. A state depredation permit was issued, and a trap was set on the property. The bear was captured and euthanized two days later, with DNA tests confirming it was responsible for Miller's death.
Miller's daughter revealed that her mother had a longstanding issue with bears trying to enter her home, even physically hitting one on occasion. The problem of bears breaking into homes and searching for food has become increasingly common across California, from Lake Tahoe to the foothill suburbs of Los Angeles.
In the week following Miller's death, a local "Downieville Crittercam" captured significant evidence of bears in the surrounding area. The state's black bear population has grown dramatically from approximately 10,000 in 1982 to around 65,000 last year. Experts believe that the bears have become more comfortable around humans, making encounters more frequent and dangerous.
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