Mama Bear and Two Cubs Euthanized in Old Forge: UPDATE Here's an update from a post we had yesterday regarding the three bears - one mother and two cubs - who sadly were euthanized over the weekend in Upstate New York. When we published the article yesterday , GNA reached out to the NYS DEC to get their perspective on what happened but hadn't heard back. Since then, the article has garnered thousands of reactions, mainly from Capital Region residents incensed by the lack of respect from tourists and gawkers as the three bears scoured for food.
Many people argue that humans caused the mother bear to act aggressively, and that may be the case. However, in fairness to the DEC, they adhere to a specific protocol for wild animals. They are forced to remove human emotion from a very difficult situation when putting any animal down, especially bears.
Here's what Jomo Miller from the NYS DEC told us about the three bears and why they were euthanized over the weekend in Old Forge. What Happened on August 11th? On Aug. 11, an Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) humanely euthanized an adult and two young bears in Herkimer County in response to increasingly aggressive behavior and escalating complaints about the same bears in the town of Webb.
Based on the bears’ increasingly aggressive behavior, DEC determined the animals as a potential risk to public safety and classified the animals as “Class 1” due to the level of interaction. What Does "Class 1" Mean? The DEC has a.