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(July 30) -- A mama grizzly bear was euthanized today after tests determined she was responsible for a fatal attack at a Montana campsite, but her cubs may be sent to live in a zoo, an official said today.
A third cub was caught in a culvert trap early this morning, and likely participated in the deadly mauling of 48-year-old Kevin Kammer from Grand Rapids, Mich., according to The Associated Press. The capture came a day after its 400-pound mother and her two other cubs were picked up by park officials.
Wednesday night, the mother tore through the Soda Butte Campgrounds near Yellowstone Park, killing Kammer and injuring two other people in a rare and seemingly unprovoked attack.
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The adult bear was put down this afternoon after officials received the results of DNA tests confirming that the captured bears were the ones that attacked the campsite, said Ron Aasheim, a spokesman for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
"The mother bear will be put down," Chris Servheen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service told ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning. The cubs though, will "probably live out there lives in a zoo," he said.
There had been some speculation that the cubs would also have to be put down, since they witnessed their mother brutally attacking humans.
"The cubs have learned, in essence, that this is how to hunt," Andrea Jones of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks told NBC's "Today." "They've learned behavior that humans are prey. And that is not acceptable."
Servheen, though, said the cubs can be safely kept in a zoo, but added that they will never be released into the wild. "The animals entered that campground with the express intent of killing and eating a person," he said.
Experts say fatal bear attacks on humans are rare, and they're baffled by the aggressive behavior of this particular grizzly. "This is an extremely rare case," Jones told NBC. "What happened here, we can't explain it right now."
Survivors have described a terrifying scene. "I felt the tent just fly 2 to 3 feet and this giant thing was on my leg," Ronald Singer, 21, told NBC. "It bit me." Singer punched the animal in the nose. "It was just an instinct."
A third cub was caught in a culvert trap early this morning, and likely participated in the deadly mauling of 48-year-old Kevin Kammer from Grand Rapids, Mich., according to The Associated Press. The capture came a day after its 400-pound mother and her two other cubs were picked up by park officials.
Wednesday night, the mother tore through the Soda Butte Campgrounds near Yellowstone Park, killing Kammer and injuring two other people in a rare and seemingly unprovoked attack.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
The adult bear was put down this afternoon after officials received the results of DNA tests confirming that the captured bears were the ones that attacked the campsite, said Ron Aasheim, a spokesman for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
"The mother bear will be put down," Chris Servheen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service told ABC's "Good Morning America" this morning. The cubs though, will "probably live out there lives in a zoo," he said.
There had been some speculation that the cubs would also have to be put down, since they witnessed their mother brutally attacking humans.
"The cubs have learned, in essence, that this is how to hunt," Andrea Jones of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks told NBC's "Today." "They've learned behavior that humans are prey. And that is not acceptable."
Servheen, though, said the cubs can be safely kept in a zoo, but added that they will never be released into the wild. "The animals entered that campground with the express intent of killing and eating a person," he said.
Experts say fatal bear attacks on humans are rare, and they're baffled by the aggressive behavior of this particular grizzly. "This is an extremely rare case," Jones told NBC. "What happened here, we can't explain it right now."
Survivors have described a terrifying scene. "I felt the tent just fly 2 to 3 feet and this giant thing was on my leg," Ronald Singer, 21, told NBC. "It bit me." Singer punched the animal in the nose. "It was just an instinct."
