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South Lake Tahoe Bear Euthanized After Camper Attack

Officials euthanized the bear deemed a public safety threat after multiple failed hazing attempts, transferring her cubs to a rehabilitation center for future release.

A bear looking at a car at Eagle Point Campground at Lake Tahoe.
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, in the summer, glimpsed through pine trees.
FILE: A bear walks along the beach in Lake Tahoe.
FILE: Three bears walk through a forested area in California.

Overview

  • A light-colored female black bear forced its way into a camper trailer at Eagle Point Campground on June 22 at 4:30 a.m., swiping at a woman whose resulting cuts and bruises required hospital treatment.
  • Since spring the bear had generated multiple 911 calls by breaking into homes and vehicles along Cascade Road and harassing campers, including a June 10 incident involving a child in a car seat.
  • CDFW, State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service conducted at least seven hazing and trapping efforts between June 17 and 23 but were unable to deter its aggressive behavior.
  • A California State Parks ranger euthanized the bear on June 23 after DNA tests confirmed it was responsible for the camper attack and a series of conflicts.
  • The bear’s two five-month-old cubs were captured and sent to a Northern California wildlife rehabilitation facility with the aim of unlearning human-conflict behaviors and eventual release.