ODFW Euthanizes 38-Pound Eugene Bear After Rabies Test Comes Back Negative

Q: What made a young Eugene bear act rabid when tests say it wasn’t—and what will further testing reveal?

The bear likely was not “acting rabid” so much as showing signs of severe neurologic or systemic illness, and ODFW has not yet identified the cause. Rabies was tested because the yearling had contact with people, showed little fear, paced, drooled, bit at responders and then became unresponsive — all behaviors that can overlap with rabies. But the state test came back negative. What officials do know is that the 38-pound black bear was in very poor condition. ODFW said it had disheled fur, kept its head low, lingered near a road instead of fleeing, lay in the roadway, breathed shallowly and rapidly, and likely was close to death. The agency has also said the bear may have been abandoned by its mother and was too weak or emaciated to survive, which alone can cause disorientation, lethargy and abnormal behavior. Further testing at the wildlife health lab is expected to look for other explanations, including disease, infection, brain inflammation, parasites, toxic exposure or other causes of neurologic distress. Wildlife cases like this can mimic rabies without actually being rabies; severe malnutrition, trauma or other infections can also produce confusion, aggression, drooling and loss of normal wariness. Until those lab results are complete, ODFW’s answer remains provisional: the bear was gravely ill, but not rabid. The final testing should clarify whether the trigger was a specific pathogen, a toxic substance, or collapse from abandonment and starvation.

3 articles · Updated · KATU · Jul 24

A 38-pound yearling bear found lingering on a Eugene road was euthanized after becoming unresponsive during transport to ODFW's wildlife health lab in Corvallis.
ODFW said the bear showed disheveled hair, pacing, head-down walking, drooling and shallow rapid breathing, and tried to bite biologists and state police during capture.
Rabies testing came back negative, but officials said the animal's unusual behavior and human contact made testing necessary; further tests are underway to determine what caused its condition.
ODFW said the young bear was likely abandoned by its mother, too weak to survive and not a candidate for rehabilitation, adding that similar yearlings are seen two to three times a year.
The agency urged Eugene residents in the urban-wildland interface to secure trash, clean grills and remove fallen fruit to avoid attracting bears.