Manitowoc Lincoln Park Zoo black bear bites off woman's fingers

By Cindy Hodgson • Herald Times Reporter • March 6, 2010

MANITOWOC — An Asiatic black bear at Lincoln Park Zoo bit off all or parts of four fingers from the hand of a 47-year-old woman Friday after she went past barriers and tried to feed the animal, a Manitowoc police captain said.

"It appears that she suffered loss of some fingers," specifically, all of her thumb and forefinger and parts of her middle and ring fingers, said Capt. Scott Luchterhand.

The woman, identified as Tracy Weiler of Manitowoc, was taken to a hospital in Green Bay, about 40 miles north of Manitowoc, and later transferred to Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, he said.

Her boyfriend, Lawrence Bosworth, 51, also of Manitowoc, tried to pry the bear's mouth off her hand and also was bitten, according to Luchterhand. In his case, the bite did not result in the loss of fingers. He was taken to Aurora Medical Center in Two Rivers.

Alcohol was a factor with both adults, according to a news release from Mayor Justin Nickels.

Weiler and Bosworth were at the zoo with Weiler's 3-year-old granddaughter, according to Luchterhand. The girl was not harmed, according to the mayor's news release.

The zoo closed for the rest of the day and will reopen today.

From: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100306/GPG0101/3060544/1207/GPG01/Manitowoc-Lincoln-Park-Zoo-black-bear-bites-off-woman-s-fingers