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[at-l] More on the bear attack



This was in the Asheville NC newspaper and thought I would pass it along.
--Highlander



Bears responsible for woman's death last month
By Quintin Ellison, STAFF WRITER
Updated: Jun 20 at 01:31



ELKMONT, Tenn. - Preliminary autopsy results confirm that a Tennessee woman
killed last month in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was mauled to
death by a black bear or bears.

The victim, Glenda Ann Bradley, 50, of Cosby, Tenn., died May 21 from blood
loss caused by her injuries, according to a report issued Friday by
pathologist Ellen B. Wallen of the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at
East Tennessee State University.

"We may never know exactly what triggered these bears to attack Ms.
Bradley, but with Friday's autopsy report we can at least put to rest
rumors of foul play," said Philip A. Francis, acting park superintendent.

Bradley is the first person killed by a black bear in the southeastern
United States.

Bradley, an experienced hiker, accompanied her ex-husband while he fished
in the Little River about 2.5 miles from Elkmont Campground in the
Tennessee portion of the 521,000-acre national park. The pair split up for
about an hour. When Bradley's ex-husband returned from fishing, he found
two bears hovering over her body.

Rangers shot and killed a 112-pound female and her yearling. An examination
showed both bears had preyed on Bradley's body.

Rangers and wildlife experts can't explain why the bears attacked Bradley.
A day pack filled with food was untouched. The adult female bear had been
tagged in 1998 for research purposes and had never displayed aggressive
tendencies toward people.

Rangers are forced to kill, on average, one black bear each year because of
aggressive behavior or excessive property damage.

Smokies spokesman Bob Miller said the woman's death underscores that people
need to be cautious near black bears and recognize they are unpredictable
wild animals.

"They are not just roly-poly cuddly critters," he said.

Contact Ellison at 452-1467 or QEllison@CITIZEN-TIMES.com

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