Bear attacks 15 year old and mother

**Maresche** · 05-24-2006, 07:05 AM

This happened practically in my backyard (I'm just east of Cleveland) and is causing a whole bruhaha up here. Apparently the bear's owner has hundreds and some say thousands of animals on his property and what I saw on the news last night showed that they weren't being kept in the best conditions. The owner is breeding and raising these animals to sell for commercial purposes. I can't help but think fur trade and/or canned hunts. The whole situtation is being investigated.

As far as shooting the bear, I feel bad that the bear got out, he shouldn't have been there to get out of his cage. But, he broke into a woman's house and attacked her completely unprovoked. I'm not sure what else you could do with him. The owner was the one who shot and killed the bear.

**Jo-Anne** · 05-24-2006, 08:18 AM

We have a big problem with bears around here.. They used to have a spring bear hunt but then the govt changed it to the fall... Last August alone they removed over 300 nuisance bears from town here..

**king2005** · 05-26-2006, 10:56 AM

I think the breeder was in the right to shoot his bear... It had attacked someone & it was a good decission on his part as he was able to stop anyone else from getting hurt right away.

If I had a dog & it got loose & attacked someone & was a threat, I would have done the same to prevent anyone else from getting hurt or killed.

Its a sad end, I agree, but its not a waste.. if hes smart, the bear will be used & sold, as you can eat bears.

**Miss Z** · 05-26-2006, 11:28 AM

I feel so bad that the bear had to be shot.

Bears are such magnificent creatures. I also hope the woman gets better soon.

**elizabethann** · 05-26-2006, 11:47 AM

Breeding bears? What's wrong with that sentence?!

Maresche, when I read this story I thought about caged hunting - which totally disgusts me. Would you mind keeping us posted on what happens to this a$$?

Daisy and Delilah, I wish they didn't have to kill the bear either. But under the circumstances, it really had to be done. Poor bear and most of all, poor family.

**Maresche** · 05-26-2006, 12:29 PM

I can't find the story online anymore. I guess it has become yesterday's news.

But on the news yesterday they said they were still investigating to see if the owner/breeder could be brought up on any charges. They legislature is also looking into changing the law so you need more than a $40 permit to own/breed bears, like a cage of a certain size and structure. Yes, currently you can own a bear in Ohio without a cage after shelling out only $40.

On a much more positive note, the woman attacked by the bear has been released from hospital.

**pitc9** · 05-26-2006, 01:12 PM

This guy is less than 20 miles from me.
He has almost 700 wild animals on his property.
This is from the news:
"Gutman's license applications shows he had 692 animals: 322 foxes, 150 coyotes, 12 bobcats, seven wolf-hybrids, four black bears, two mountain lions and a lynx."

He breeds the animals to sell and for their fur and urine.

I know a person that bought a coyote from him.
Here's a link with all the info:
http://www.woio.com/Global/story.asp...8&nav=menu68_2