Movie Grizzly Bear Kills Trainer
Movie Grizzly Bear Kills Trainer

A 700-pound grizzly bear attacked and killed 39-year-old Canyon Country trainer Tuesday at a compound near Big Bear Lake, which trains wild animals for movies and TV, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said, according to Los Angeles Times.

The grizzly bear Rocky lunged at Stephan Miller, who was a trainer at Randy Miller's Predators in Action, and bit him in the neck. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, sheriff’s spokeswoman Cindy Beavers declared. It appears that two other trainers had to subdue the 5-year-old bear with pepper spray. They were not harmed.

The Predators in Action website mentioned the 7 ½ - foot-tall grizzly bear appeared in Will Ferrell’s recent movie “Semi-Pro.”

Beavers said officials from Cal OSHA and the state Department of Fish and Game were investigating what would happen to the bear. Meanwhile, Fish and Game spokesman Harry Morse affirmed its patrol chief knew of no safety violations at Predators in Action. According to Morse, a preliminary examination of the compound discovered nothing unusual. He also said he did not think the department would take custody of the bear.

A grizzly specialist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Kevin Frey, explained the bears can become agitated during training regimens that include repetitive actions and they can attack with surprising speed, as “they are so fast, they’re phenomenal.”

Rocky and another grizzly bear named Dakota “worked on some of the wildest jobs ever done,” the Predators in Action website says. Rocky had a bear-wrestling scene in “Semi-pro,” while Stephan’s cousin, Randy Miller, was a stunt double for Ferrell in the scene. Lions, leopards and cougars are also being trained at the compound.




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