Beloved Lake Tahoe black bear euthanized after crash left him paralyzed, nonprofit says

A beloved bear in the Lake Tahoe area was euthanized after being hit by a car and paralyzed, local news outlets report.

The black bear, dubbed “Papa Bear,” was hit by a driver “traveling very fast” on May 9, according to a Facebook post by the nonprofit Bear League. The driver left the scene, but the bear was left on the side of the road, “bleeding and paralyzed from mid-spine down,” the organization said.

A witness said it was clear the bear could not walk after the crash and that he was seen dragging his back legs while trying to get off the road and into the woods, the organization said.

Officials from the organization, as well as from California Highway Patrol, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control, made the decision to euthanize the bear after arriving at the scene, the Facebook post said.

“We all knew what had to be done and we supported each other, as we honored the life of the bear,” the organization said. “He was much loved by the residents of the neighborhood and will not be forgotten.”

Ann Bryant, Bear League’s executive director, told KOVR that the bear’s chance of survival after the crash was “completely hopeless.”

“The disrespect shown to him, and just leaving him lying alive on the side of the road like he’s nothing, that really hurt people,” Bryant told the outlet.

The bear was around 400 pounds and had been in the community for at least 15 years, CBS Sacramento reported.

Bear League condemned the driver’s actions, but the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said that the driver didn’t do anything illegal.

“There’s no legal requirement to stop and render aid to the injured animal,” Captain Patrick Foy with Fish and Wildlife told CBS Sacramento. “In fact, we really go as far as recommending against approaching an injured animal.”

However, the agency cautioned people who live in northern California and Nevada that bears are beginning to emerge from their dens and back into places shared with humans as the weather gets warmer.

This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Beloved Lake Tahoe black bear euthanized after crash left him paralyzed, nonprofit says."