State wildlife officials are considering the “lethal removal” of a black bear that reportedly charged to within 5 or 10 feet of hikers on the Old Baldy Trail in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson on Saturday.
“The behavior of this bear is escalating” following previous sightings near hikers on the trail, said Mark Hart, spokesman for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Based on the fact that it charged hikers, we’re required to consider some proactive management options.”
Hart said the department has few options other than killing the bear, an adult animal possibly weighting 150 to 200 pounds.
“It has been frequenting an area not accessible by a road, so we can’t trap it,” he said. “We can’t get a trap up there, and even if we could we would have a problem relocating it based on its (aggressive) behavior.”
Therefore, Hart said, the department is considering lethal removal — killing the bear with a firearm.
“People said they were in fear for their lives when the bear charged,” Hart said. “If they hadn’t taken action by yelling and trying to scare it, there might have been a tragedy. A bear that size could definitely cause serious harm to people if it attacked.”
The Coronado National Forest, which manages land in the Santa Rita Mountains, has closed the Old Baldy Trail and nearby Super Trail until Nov. 16 or until the closure order is rescinded.
Old Baldy Trail, which begins in Madera Canyon, had reopened just before the Saturday incident after being closed by the Coronado Forest on Oct. 7, following three previous bear encounters, Hart said.
