5 Things We've Learned About CA's First Fatal Black Bear Attack

DOWNIEVILLE, CA — In the months since 71-year-old Patrice Miller became the first person in California to be killed by a black bear, gruesome and disturbing details about the incident have emerged, according to reports.

Below are five things to know about the fatal attack that rocked the small Sierra Nevada community of Downieville in November:

1. Miller had a history with the bear.

Miller called the bear who took her life “Big Bastard” and had problems with the animal for months, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

She once hit a bear to keep it out of her home, the newspaper reported, and, in another incident just weeks before she died, she awoke to find the arm of a bear coming through a cracked window.

She had contacted the Department of Fish and Wildlife about the animal in September and was offered a depredation permit to have it killed, but declined, according to the Chronicle.

2. The bear left a chaotic and violent scene.

Authorities believe the animal entered through a kitchen window, prying off security bars, then found Miller in bed and dragged her through the home, the Chronicle reported.

A deputy responding to a welfare check request found a garden hose on the porch steps spraying water through apparent bite marks, and bloody paw prints and a pile of scat in the living room, according to the newspaper.

Miller’s body was partially eaten, according to the Chronicle, and the bear returned each day to the home even after the scene was clear, KCRA reported, noting Miller had been missing for days before deputies went to check on her.

3. There was uncertainty about Miller’s cause of death.

Authorities initially believed Miller died of natural causes before the bear entered her home, according to KCRA, but an autopsy later revealed she was mauled.

4. The bear is dead.

Although Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher was initially denied his request to euthanize the bear because he was not the tenant or owner of the property where the attack happened, he eventually worked with the owner of the home Miller rented and received the necessary permit, KCRA reported.

Once authorities caught the animal, it was disputed whether they had the right bear, but the animal was eventually identified and killed with a high-caliber pistol, according to the Chronicle.

5. Miller’s home was particularly attractive to the bear.

Miller fed her cats on the porch, KCRA reported. She had a vegetable garden, a compost pile and didn’t always get rid of trash right away, according to the Chronicle, all of which may have made her a target.

SEE ALSO: Bear Smiles For The Camera, Charming SoCal Social Media Users