EUGENE, Ore. – A black bear yearling that wandered into a southwest Eugene neighborhood was euthanized after wildlife officials determined it was severely distressed and possibly suffering from rabies.
Residents in the Fox Hollow area reported the bear showed up earlier in the morning and wouldn’t leave. They said the bear was covered in ticks and appeared to be in distress.
Chris Pedersen, a Fox Hollow resident, noticed something unusual when his animals started acting strangely. “The goats were staring at something up by the road and pretty soon our border collie started looking and barking and so I figured I’d look and got my binoculars out and said oh there’s a bear down by the road,” Pedersen said.
Residents called the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, but it took several hours for crews to arrive. Wildlife officials were able to wrangle the bear into a portable kennel and began transporting it to their vet.
During transport, the bear collapsed in the kennel and was drooling heavily. Crews decided to euthanize the bear due to its condition. ODFW officials believe the bear may have been suffering from rabies and will conduct a necropsy to confirm.
ODFW officials are emphasizing that people should not attempt to help distressed wildlife themselves and should always call experts, especially when an animal is displaying unusual behavior.