According to representatives of the Navajo authorities, last month in New Mexico (USA), a bear fatally injured a man after breaking into his home. According to the Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife, 67-year-old Benjamin Halona was attacked on August 20 around 1 p.m. in the Crystal community, New Mexico, reports “People”.
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B. Halona had recently become a widower and had difficulty moving due to health problems. His sister Gloria Halona and niece Samantha Vandever told “The Guardian” that after a severe stroke, the man recovered using a walker and wheelchair. “He was a really strong man,” Gloria told “The Guardian”. “And although he didn’t have much, he was happy.”
As Gloria and Samantha told the publication, on the day of the attack, B. Halona was at home, and his stepson Casey had gone to the post office. Upon returning, Casey found the door ajar and a bear inside the house – his relatives told “The Guardian”. Casey immediately locked himself in his room, barricading the door with a dresser and other heavy objects. According to the family, he then hid in a closet niche and called for help on his mobile phone.
As they themselves told “The Guardian”, he also contacted Gloria and Samantha, who came to the house. The women saw the bear near the house upon arrival. According to the publication, Samantha, at her mother’s request, honked the car horn, causing the animal to flee.
According to the Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife, law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene shot and wounded the bear. The animal fled into a nearby forest but was later found and “neutralized” by the officers, the department stated.
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However, by that time, B. Halona had already suffered fatal injuries. The family entered the house and saw a scene that Samantha described as “horrifying” (reports “The Guardian”). According to service representatives, B. Halona died from injuries sustained during the attack. “It was a huge shock for us,” Samantha told “The Guardian”.
According to relatives, B. Halona left behind two siblings, four children, five stepchildren, 15 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. “He endured a lot in his life – especially at the moment of death,” the Vandever family told “The Guardian”. “And we are all devastated that this had to happen to him.”
On August 25, the Navajo Police Department reported that due to drought and lack of moisture, the amount of natural food for bears has decreased, so in search of food and preparing for hibernation, they travel further and take greater risks. “Food is the main cause of conflicts between people and bears,” the Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife stated in a public announcement on August 24.
The department said that residents living in or near bear habitats can help reduce the likelihood of attacks by ensuring the collection of household waste and livestock feed, bringing pet food indoors, cleaning grills after use, and removing other potential food sources that attract bears. They also advise closing doors and windows and maintaining cleanliness in homes and campsites.
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