A campground host is angry after a beloved local bear ended up getting euthanized. She's placing the blame solely with careless campers.
Delaney Prince runs the Pine City Campground near Mammoth Lakes, California. The campground had a local bear named Victor who Prince says was a beloved part of the area. She said the bear was typically calm and also non-aggressive.
"It took a lot to spook Victor," she told Outside Online. Prince wasn't at the campground when the incident happened. Victor got attracted to campsites where a few campers were grilling steaks. Instead of putting the food away and retreating to a safe distance, the campers opted to use the encounter as a photo shoot. They began to film the bear at their campsite.
"If I had been there, it would have gone different," Prince said. The bear began eating the steaks ignoring the campers waving pots and pans. The animal also took a swipe at one of the campers who was close to the animal.
"If no one was there, he never would have reacted like that," explained Prince. "20 minutes later, somebody showed me the video. I knew what the outcome would be."
Wildlife officials ended up tracking down Victor and tranquilizing him. After confirming it was the same bear, the officials shot and killed the animal. They also ended up dumping his body at a local landfill, making locals angry.
Bear Dies
"I was honestly devastated," Prince said.
"My dog is named after that bear," she said. "He's been the wallpaper on my phone for three years now. I've watched him scratch his back on trees and swim across the lake. My heart is broken that he is gone."
Prince blames the clueless campers for getting the animal killed. She also said local agencies don't work with her at all on educating people about proper safety. "The Forest Service doesn't work with us at all," Prince complained. "Fish and game doesn't work with us at all. Camp hosts are the first line of defense to talk about people and educate people."
Prince also laid out some important rules when it comes to bear safety. "Bears don't need to be feared, they just need a lot of respect," she said. "They have no desire to hurt somebody."
"Treat the bear box like a fridge," the campground host also continued. "Open and close it as you need it and keep the door closed. Sometimes a bear comes when your food is out. Take your plate and walk away. At the end of the day we are the guests in their home and we need to treat it like that."
As for Victor, the Bishop Paiute Tribe recovered the animal's body and gave him a proper burial and ceremony.
"I am so grateful the tribe gave him a proper burial," said Prince
