LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports that a black bear that was recently shot and killed in Wexford County is the same bear that mauled a teen in that area in 2013.
Abby Wetherell was 12at the time of the attack near Cadillac in August of 2013. She was seriously hurt and needed over 100 stitches.
The DNR reports that a 9-year-old female black bear was killed on April 30th by a person acting in self-defense. The person who wishes to remain anonymous told the DNR that they let out their dog, which took off after a bear cub.
The dog stopped at the end of the tree line when the bear attacked the dog. The dog’s owner went to assist and the bear ran off, but as they were helping the injured dog, the bear returned and approached the resident.
The resident shot the bear and reported it to the DNR. The DNR investigated and determined it to be a justifiable killing of the bear.
Genetic tests performed in Lansing matched the bear killed on April 30 with the same bear from the 2013 mauling. The Wetherells have been notified of the discovery.
