Cherokee National Forest, Tenn.
A 400-pound black bear attacked a family out for a nature walk last week, killing a 6-year-old girl and biting her 2-year-old brother. The children’s mother was also hurt, when she tried to chase the bear off with rocks and sticks. “We are very familiar with this area, very familiar with being out in nature,” said Robert Petrasek, the children’s father. Wildlife officers trapped and euthanized a bear in the area a few days after the attack, and are testing it to confirm that it is the one involved in the incident. Unlike grizzlies, American black bears rarely attack humans, and are more easily scared away.
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