A necropsy will determine whether the "unusually aggressive bear" that chased two people at a nature preserve in Granby on Monday afternoon had rabies or another health issue.
The bear, which has been euthanized, was a 120-pound male, about 16 to 17 months old, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. DEEP examined the bear before sending it to a UConn lab for the animal autopsy.
Officials believe the bear is responsible for chasing a 62-year-old man and 25-year-old woman who were jogging minutes along Barndoor Hills Road at McLean Game Refuge just before 1 p.m. on Monday.
"A black bear has me cornered here," the man told emergency dispatchers in his 911 call while shouting at the animal, trying to send it away. "He's on top of me here... Go, go! ... He's a young one. He's really coming for me here... Go! Get!"
Neither person was badly hurt, but the encounter left them startled and shaken up.
The 25-year-old woman can be heard crying on the phone with dispatchers. She said the bear chased her for two miles through the woods before a family living nearby distracted the animal and she managed to slip away.
While the female jogger was not injured, the man had a cut on his chest. Officials from DEEP said it's not clear whether the bear scratched him or if he was scraped by bushes while running through the woods to get away.
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An official who has been with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for 10 years said he has never seen anything like this before.
Granby officers and DEEP Environmental Conservation Police found and trapped the bear around 9 p.m. Monday and removed it from the area, according to police.
The DEEP said the bear wasn't tagged, meaning it had not been previously encountered. Authorities said they euthanized the animal due to its aggressive behavior. The bear was taken to the pathobiology laboratory at UConn for a necropsy.
Authories said bear sightings are common this time of year, but the animals are not normally known to attack.
DEEP officials advise residents to avoid leaving food sources in their yards by taking down birdfeeders, cleaning grills and outdoor cooking areas and making sure garbage cans are secure.
If you come across a bear while enjoying outdoor activities like hiking or camping, the DEEP recommends waving your arms and making noises, maintaining your distance and backing away from the animal.
More information and safety tips are available online.
