‘Desperate’ bear tried to break into house, police say | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo courtesy of Randolph County Sheriff’s Office An emaciated bear tried to break into a nearby home Monday, police said.

ELKINS – Local police officers were dispatched to Harpertown Road Monday because a bear attempted to enter a home, police said.

Deputy TJ Knotts of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and DT Sayre of the Elkins Police Department responded to the 911 call and found the bear on the patio at the back of the house when they arrived on scene, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Officials determined that the bear “in danger,” emaciated and suffered from physical ailments and mangy fur, the press release states.

“Both officers knew there was something wrong with the bear when they saw it,” “That’s what Sheriff Rob Elbon wrote in the press release.” “When they approached the bear, he just turned around, sat on his hindquarters and looked at them. He was not acting normal at all.”

The bear, whose gums were deformed and not of typical color, was humanely killed by Deputy Knotts, the post said.

The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources was called to recover the bear and transport it away for further investigation.

“We don’t know if the bear had rabies or if there was something else wrong with him,” Elbon wrote. “It didn’t even look like a bear to me, it almost looked like it was mutated. It kind of looked like a combination of a pig and a bear, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Elbon said anyone who notices an animal behaving unusually should call 911, local police or the DNR.

“If anyone sees an animal that appears to be in distress and is not behaving normally, they should call and report it,” Elbon wrote. “Generally, if you see a wild animal and it doesn’t try to escape from you, there is something wrong with it.”