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Pet bear mauls woman to death as she cleans cage
Ed Harris06.10.09
A woman in the US has been mauled to death while cleaning the cage of her pet bear.
Kelly Ann Walz, 37, was killed after entering the 15ft by 15ft steel and concrete pen where she kept the 350lb black bear near her home in north-east Pennsylvania.
She threw a handful of dog food to one side of the cage to distract the animal but it turned and set upon her. It was shot and killed by a neighbour.
Mrs Walz and her husband Michael have a menagerie including a Bengal tiger and a lion.
Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser said: "The care of the animals was as required. The bottom line is this: it is a wild animal. Irrespective of whether it is in a cage it is still a wild animal."
Reader views (6)
Serves the silly cow right. I just feel sorry for the bear.
- Alan., McLean, Texas, USA
Stupid Americans. The tiger would have got her eventually.
- Alan., Wimbledon
It should not be legal to keep a bear of any size in 15x 15ft cage.
- Anne Kember, Faversham
As it is (was) a wild animal, why was it in a cage?
- Guy, Luxembourg
Nature invariably takes control, now neither are alive due to confusing human feelings with wild animal trust.
Sad!
- Ken.H, Harrow, UK
What do you expect keeping a wild animal in a box 15' square.
- Dom, London
