Bear, cub euthanized after attacking camper

ST. REGIS, Mont. - A bear that injured a Washington man was trapped and euthanized on Thursday.

The female black bear bit through the side of a tent last Monday, June 14, at a campsite just southwest of St. Regis.

Rob Holmes, of Ellensburg, was awakened from his sleep around 4:30 a.m. when he felt the animal bite his ear from outside the tent.

Jeffrey Darrah, Fish, Wildlife and Parks Warden Captain for region two, said that they set the trap at a campsite nearby Holmes' that had previously been abandoned.

"We caught her, and her cub was also up a tree nearby," he said.

Darrah said they also euthanized the cub because since it would no longer have its mother to provide care it wouldn't have survived.

"Sadly, we had to put them both down," Darrah said.

Darrah said that the mother bear had previously been known to go down into areas with people. He said that FWP had received many reports from several residences in the area that they had seen a bear in the area.

The black bear had also been down to one residence where she tore the cover off a hot tub and chewed on it.

"It had become fairly obvious this bear was becoming habituated to being around humans and scoring easy handouts," Darrah said. "Both the mother and the cub had shown bad behavior."

Darrah said they have sent samples from the mother black bear to determine whether or not she has rabies.

The bears were removed from the area so they wouldn't pose risk to any future campers. Prior to having the bear removed, the campground, located about two miles up Little Joe Road, was closed. Darrah had said previously that Holmes had done everything correctly, but it was the food left out at another abandoned campsite that drew the bear in.

"He (Holmes) kept a clean camp and did not place himself at risk," Darrah said. "Unfortunately, food and other attractants that were abandoned at another nearby camp likely drew the bear in."

Twenty-one stitches were required to close the injury to Holmes' ear.