Wildlife officials identify bear that attacked teenager

EASTPOINT, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say they have identified a bear that mauled a Florida Panhandle teenager while she was walking her dog.

Six bears were captured in the Eastpoint area after 15-year-old Leah Reeder was attacked Dec. 20. Four adult bears were euthanized and two cubs were relocated.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Karen Parker tells The News Herald (http://bit.ly/1xK5Ucn ) that one of the adult bears matched DNA collected from the teen’s clothes. The female bear was captured and euthanized Dec. 22.

Leah suffered cuts to her head and face, along with bites to her right arm and left leg.

Wildlife officials euthanized seven bears in central Florida after a Lake Mary woman was attacked by a bear near her home in April.