COLORADO SPRINGS — On Monday, a bear in Colorado Springs was seen acting erratically and was determined to be in severe distress by wildlife officers.
After consulting a wildlife pathologist and veterinarian, CPW determined the bear needed to be euthanized.
The bear had two cubs that were captured later near a school in Colorado Springs.
A necropsy was performed on the mother bear and Wednesday, CPW reported the results.
The results of the necropsy are somewhat disturbing.
According to the agency, the stomach contests of the sow included raw chicken, potato, a cigarette butt, aluminum foil, pickle, a french fry, a hamburger wrapper, paper towels, birdseed, beans, fruit, butter wrappers, a pen cap, and strawberry preserves packets.
The stomach contents of the sow @COParksWildlife officers euthanized Monday included raw chicken, potato, a cigarette butt, aluminum foil, pickle, a french fry, hamburger wrapper, paper towels, birdseed, beans, fruit, butter wrappers, pen cap, strawberry preserves packets. pic.twitter.com/NqXiwD7jgw
— CPW SE Region (@CPW_SE) September 25, 2019
CPW said that at this time of year, a bear's stomach should be full of berries and acorns, not garbage.
The necropsy further revealed that the bear had a large tumor in its nasal cavity that was infiltrating the brain.
According to CPW, the wildlife pathologist also determined that the bear was shot in the face with a pellet rifle, likely the same day its erratic behavior was reported, and this wound likely contributed to the behavior.
The bear's cubs were determined to be old enough to survive in the wild and were released into the mountains on Tuesday.
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