Bear That Chased Two in Granby Euthanized, Being Examined at UConn

Update: DEEP officials confirmed the male bear was 120 pounds and 16-17 months old. There were no tags on the bear, meaning it hadn’t been encountered by officials before. 

The bear suspected of chasing two people in Granby Monday has been euthanized and will be examined at UConn in an attempt to determine why it was unusually aggressive.

The bear’s action’s were considered ”unusually aggressive” after it chased a 62-year-old man and 25-year-old woman, said Dennis Schain, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman.

“Through the necropsy, officials hope to determine if the bear had rabies – which is rare in bears – or any other health issues that may help explain its unusual and aggressive behavior,” he said.

Black bears generally aren’t aggressive toward humans.

The bear was captured before 9 p.m. at the McLean Game Refuge Monday night. It was trapped near the site of the encounters.

Two people were chased by the bear within an hour of each other Monday. One person sustained minor injuries from tree branches while fleeing, police said.

The bear is estimated to be about a year and a half old, a yearling, and weighed between 140 and 160 pounds.

Environmental Conservation Police remained on scene through the afternoon and into the night until the bear was captured.

Helpful tips from DEEP on how to handle a black bear encounter

Original story:

Bear that Chased People in Granby Caught; Will be Euthanized