Starving 400lb bear is euthanized in Colorado to end 'horrific' suffering after its intestines became clogged up with wet wipes, leaving it 'decaying from the inside out'
- The black bear was foaming from its mouth and could hardly walk, officials said
- An autopsy revealed the bear was full of wipes, paper towels, plastics and other household waste
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A starving 400lb black bear had to be put down by rangers in Telluride, Colorado, to prevent it suffering a 'horrific' slow death after its intestines became blocked with wet wipes.
Wildlife officers had to euthanize the bear on September 9 after multiple calls about it being unwell from concerned residents in the Rocky Mountains town.
The animal had been foaming from its mouth and could hardly walk, needing to rest every 20 or 30 yards, according to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson.
After its death, an autopsy was performed and the bear was found to be full of wipes, paper towels, plastics and other household waste, which was unable to pass through its lower intestine.
Area Wildlife Manager Rachel Sralla said the bear was 'really sick', adding: 'We could not leave a sick bear like this knowing it was suffering and struggling to survive. When you have a very fat 400lb bear, it will take it ages to starve to death.
'That's a horrific way to die, decaying from the inside out for that long. As officers, we had to make an unfavorable call. It's a call we wish we never had to make.'
An autopsy was performed and the bear was found to be full of wet wipes, paper towels, plastics and other household waste, which was unable to pass through its lower intestine
The bear was put down on the evening of September 9 to prevent it from suffering further but also for 'human health and safety reasons'.
'It all comes back to trash, which we talk about too often when it comes to bear conflicts in Colorado. The reason we had to put this bear down was to end its suffering that was caused by eating indigestible trash.
Parks spokesman John Livingston said: 'The first thing we noticed right away was a little bit of foam around its mouth,' which did not appear to be rabies.
The bear also had puffy eyes, he added, which 'indicated that it was battling some kind of infection.'
A picture released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife shows a bear - not the one euthanized - rummaging through household waste
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Its inability to walk very far suggested it was suffering abdominal pain.
While officers admitted it was a tough call to put it down, the community is said to be relieved at the decision to put the animal out of its misery.
Locals are said to be familiar with the bear, who was hazed away from public spaces earlier this year and is suspected of entering a home, according to officials.
Wildlife officials have urged people to make sure their homes are 'bearproof', advising them to get trash cans designed to keep the animals out.
They are also imposing heavy fines for anyone caught littering in the area.
A fine of $250 is handed out for the first offence, $500 for a second offence, while a third offence results in a court summons.
'Telluride has an ordinance to address bear in trash issues,' Sralla said.
'We need the community to follow that ordinance to be a better neighbor to our bears and prevent this type of incident from happening again.'
Livingston said: 'It really takes everybody doing their part, whether they're a visitor to Colorado, or us who live here full time. It takes everybody to do their part to secure that trash so bears aren't getting into it.'
