I’m writing about the black bear encounter on Spooks Branch Road in North Asheville, and the plan to euthanize the mother bear involved.
I am neighbor to the homeowner, and her account differs from reports stating the bear entered an “unlocked door.” Her houseguest left the door open, and the bear came in after a bag of cat food nearby. The bear grew agitated when the guest banged on a back door trying to wake the homeowner; when she ran to widen the bear’s exit, the startled animal swatted at her on its way out. That’s defensive, not predatory. The homeowner has pleaded with the NC Wildlife Commission not to euthanize the bear, and so do her neighbors.
This bear has young cubs. Euthanizing her doesn’t help people learn to coexist in bear country…