Officials confirmed that a woman’s death last November in Sierra County was the first known and documented fatal attack by a black bear in California history.
According to a statement by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials received an autopsy report and death certificate last week regarding a 71-year-old woman who was found in her home in Downieville, north of Lake Tahoe, after being attacked by a black bear. The woman was found dead on November 8, 2023.
The department’s authorities stated they initially believed that a bear had entered the woman’s home after she died, but the Sierra County coroner confirmed the bear had mauled the woman to death.
Authorities stated the bear was trapped and euthanized. DNA analysis confirmed it was the same bear that had attacked the woman.
