Associated Press
COLUMBIA STATION, Ohio
The owner of a bear that fatally mauled a caretaker last year has been found dead in bed at his property in northern Ohio.
The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office says an employee of exotic animal owner Sam Mazzola found the 49-year-old dead Sunday at his property in Columbia Station, about 15 miles southwest of Cleveland. The office did not immediately release information about how he died.
A bear owned by Mazzola killed 24-year-old Brent Kandra in August after he opened its cage for feeding at the Mazzola home, where wolves and tigers also were kept.
A coroner determined it was a workplace accident.
Animal-rights activists had wanted prosecutors to pursue reckless homicide charges against Mazzola. They previously targeted him because he staged wrestling matches between bears and humans.
Comments
A sad ending . The bear wrestling matches that he held were very entertaining .
peta will be pleased.
Once again, a misleading headline by an underachieving paper. I thought the owner might have been killed by the bear. Who cares that some dude died?!? That's what the obituary section is for. When my grandpa died he owned a car. "Owner of an 1985 Oldsmobile that Ran Pretty Good Found Dead".
I've never understood the fascination with owning wildlife that can eat you. You are some weird people.
After the Casey Anthony trial, this is pretty tame news.
Piak is right . Most of of us were safe in our mothers care . With a bear the unexpected is to be expected .