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Bear attack on Boy Scout blamed on drought
CIMARRON, N.M., (UPI) -- Drought is responsible for an increase in bear attacks at a New Mexico scouting ranch, including an attack on a 14-year-old Boy Scout, a ranch official says.
"As a result of (the drought after a late spring) they have to do more work to find food, and bears are going to be constantly looking for food," Philmont Scout Ranch Programming Director Mark Anderson told KRQE-TV, Albuquerque.
Early Wednesday morning a 150-pound black bear pounced on a tent and gorged the hand of Boy Scout Aaron Myers, 14. The bear also bit his head.
The 2- to 3-year-old bear was killed by a Philmont employee and will be tested for rabies, state Game and Fish biologist Rick Winslow told the Albuquerque Journal.
About 10 local scouts and two adult leaders -- including Aaron's 16-year-old brother, Collin, and father, Craig -- had spent the last night of a 12-day trip in the 159,000-acre rugged, mountainous range in the northern New Mexico wilderness when the attack occurred, officials said.
The bear that attacked Aaron was the third bear the troop had encountered on the trip, but the first to hurt anyone, said Aaron's mother, Beth Myers.
The incident was the second injury caused by a bear on the range in eight days, Winslow said.
A bear scratched an adult camper June 30 and then ran off. The incident occurred within 2 miles of Wednesday's attack but is believed to have been done by a different bear.
Anderson said the June attack was the first time since 2007 that a bear had harmed someone in Philmont.
CIMARRON, N.M., (UPI) -- Drought is responsible for an increase in bear attacks at a New Mexico scouting ranch, including an attack on a 14-year-old Boy Scout, a ranch official says.
"As a result of (the drought after a late spring) they have to do more work to find food, and bears are going to be constantly looking for food," Philmont Scout Ranch Programming Director Mark Anderson told KRQE-TV, Albuquerque.
Early Wednesday morning a 150-pound black bear pounced on a tent and gorged the hand of Boy Scout Aaron Myers, 14. The bear also bit his head.
The 2- to 3-year-old bear was killed by a Philmont employee and will be tested for rabies, state Game and Fish biologist Rick Winslow told the Albuquerque Journal.
About 10 local scouts and two adult leaders -- including Aaron's 16-year-old brother, Collin, and father, Craig -- had spent the last night of a 12-day trip in the 159,000-acre rugged, mountainous range in the northern New Mexico wilderness when the attack occurred, officials said.
The bear that attacked Aaron was the third bear the troop had encountered on the trip, but the first to hurt anyone, said Aaron's mother, Beth Myers.
The incident was the second injury caused by a bear on the range in eight days, Winslow said.
A bear scratched an adult camper June 30 and then ran off. The incident occurred within 2 miles of Wednesday's attack but is believed to have been done by a different bear.
Anderson said the June attack was the first time since 2007 that a bear had harmed someone in Philmont.