Kelly Ann Walz, a 37-year-old school teacher based in Ross Township Pennsylvania, was killed while cleaning the cage of a captive 350-pound black bear.
According to Tim Conway, an information and education supervisor with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Walz entered the 15-by-15-foot steel and concrete cage on Sunday at about 5 p.m. She then shoveled dog food to one side of the cage in a failed attempt to distract the animal.
Conway remarked:
Why this woman chose to go in the same area that the bear was in is beyond me. It’s a fatal mistake,” he said. “These things are not tame animals, they’re wild animals.
Kelly Ann Walz went into the bear’s 15-by-15-foot steel and concrete cage about 5 p.m. Sunday, throwing a shovelful of dog food to one side to distract the bear while she cleaned the other side, Conway said. At some point the bear turned on her and attacked.
Friend and neighbor Scott Castone explained:
She’s done it 1,000 times and on 1,001, something happened. She loved the animals and took care of them.
Walz’s and Castone’s children witnessed the attack and called for help. Castone came and shot and killed the animal. Walz was pronounced dead at the scene.
It was revealed that her husband, Michael Walz’s license to deal exotic pets expired in June 2008. In 2007 he was listed as owning an African lion, cougar, jaguar, tiger, black bear, leopard and two servals. He described the expiry of his license as “a technicality”.
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[CBS]
