Kalispell woman killed by bear had Alzheimer's

A Kalispell woman who died from injuries suffered from a black bear that entered her house and mauled her suffered from Alzheimer’s, family members noted in her obituary.

Barbara Ann Paschke, 85, was attacked by the bear on Sept. 27 west of Kalispell after it entered her home and mauled her. Paschke, according to Montana, Fish Wildlife and Parks bear specialist Erik Wenum, had been feeding bears near her home, which was between Batavia and Ashley Lake. She later died fromher injuries.

“Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2009, (she was vehemently mad about this up to the end), which altered her perspective on how to preserve wildlife wisely and safely,” family members wrote in her obituary.

FWP investigators aren’t sure exactly how the bear got into Paschke’s home, but it escaped through a window. As of presstime, the bear remained at large. Wenum has set a trap for the bear, and caught two others that were also being fed, but the bear that attacked Paschke has not been caught.

The two bears were anesthetized and then euthanized.  Necropsy performed on the bears revealed extensive artificial feeding of sunflower seeds and millet.  One young female black bear weighed 99 pounds, and an adult female weighed 162 pounds.

Warden Brian Sommers said it’s apparent that other residents in the area are also feeding bears, which is illegal. Bears that are fed become habituated to humans and food conditioned which can lead to aggressive behavior and the inability or desire to fend for themselves once the supplemental feed is removed.  This in turn can lead to bears breaking into buildings, trailers and vehicles in search of food producing a greater public safety issue.

FWP is looking for tips on anyone who is feeding bears in the area. Contact Game Warden Wes Oedekoven at 406-270-4220 or 1-800-TIPMONT.