LONGWOOD, Fla., Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The cubs of a wild bear euthanized for injuring a Longwood, Fla., man, likely are old enough to survive on their own, a state conservation official said.
The 200-pound female black bear swatted Ernest Stamm outside his door Thursday night, cutting him on the face and near his eye. The bear was killed Friday because it posed a public safety risk, said Joy Hill of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
"It could be somebody else (getting hurt) next time, and that's why we have to euthanize these bears. It breaks our hearts every time," Hill told The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel in a story published Tuesday.
The bear was believed to have given birth to two cubs last winter, making the cubs old enough to survive on their own, Hill said, adding the cubs likely would continue their mother's habit of looking for food near homes.
Stamm, 49, may have been illegally feeding the bears and could face misdemeanor charges, authorities said. Stamm was not available for comment Monday.
