Washington, October 06: A US woman who also kept a leopard, lion, tiger and jaguar at her home has been killed by her pet bear.
Kelly Ann Walz, 37, was mauled to death by the 160kg bear while cleaning its cage at her home in Ross Township, Pennsylvania
Police said the woman gave the bear some dog food to distract it while she cleaned its cage, but the bear turned on her and mauled her to death.
The bear was later shot to death.
“These animals, even though they may be very docile one day, you never know,” Tim Conway, of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, told the Morning Call newspaper.
“I don’t know what makes an individual want to have a pet or animal like this in captivity. I just don’t.”
The bear was kept in a 5m by 5m cage.
Walz had owned the bear since 2000 and had the appropriate licences to keep the animals, authorities said.
An investigation into the bear attack was continuing, state police said.
—Agencies