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Game and Fish officials take steps before killing bears

Posted at 7:58 AM, Jun 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-22 10:58:16-04

Arizona Game and Fish officials won't kill a bear until they have taken a number of precautionary steps.

As KGUN9's Carlos Herrera reports, the current policy has been in place since 1996, when officials caught and released an adult male black bear, which then returned to a campground and mauled a teenage girl.

Since then, the state has required that wildlife officials kill any adult male bear that shows unacceptable behavior, is found in an unacceptable location or poses a threat to people.

Females and cubs typically get second chances. They are relocated and put down only if they come back to the site they were found.

Bear behaviors are broken down into categories. The first is an immediate threat to public safety, including attacking or stalking. The second category is a potential threat.

Game and Fish euthanizes between 10 and 20 bears every year.