Woman Arrested On Suspicion Of Luring, Feeding Bears
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Douglas County has issued a warning after a number of recent bear sightings, many in backyards. It's the time of year when bears stock up on food for the winter, so sightings become more frequent.
One woman appears to have been attracting bears intentionally, though, and is facing criminal charges for feeding them. In Colorado it is illegal to feed bears and those the woman fed may have to be put down.
Wildlife officials spent Thursday trying to trap bears in a Colorado Springs neighborhood overrun with bears.
"A bear was right there, and I kind of sprung up from my chair and he saw me and shot off that way," said neighbor Michael Tassler.
Officials believe 62-year-old Jo Ann Medina has been luring them here and giving them plenty of reasons to stay ever since.
"There was distinct areas where food was being displayed and then dropped off the edge of the deck," said Matt Robbins from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
It is illegal to feed bears and Medina has a long history of breaking the law with citations dating back to 2009. In this case, her neighbor called wildlife officials after seeing multiple bears in his own yard, all of them in one afternoon.
"With all these bears and school starting next week for our kids, walking them to the bus stop, it just became a matter of concern," said Tassler.
CPW set up surveillance in the trees and spotted no less than half a dozen bears visit Medina's home, at times waiting to be fed.
"There was some opportunity where she was documented being outside while the bears were present," Robbins said.
Three of the bears were tagged, meaning they had been captured and relocated before. Wildlife officials say they only get two strikes before other measures are taken.
"Those are the two strikes, are unfortunately going to have to be destroyed," said Robbins.
"It makes me feel sad most of all. These are really majestic, beautiful creatures," said Tassler.
A petition has been started to try to save those bears, but wildlife officials say there is really no alternative.
Officials said they don't usually arrest someone for this type of crime, but because previous penalties like fines against Medina hadn't worked, they decided the safety concern was so great that they needed to step in.
