Bearing Responsibility

Wildlife enforcement

A year from now, an Arizona woman’s conviction for feeding bears could be erased.

Patty Thomas of Tucson, who pleaded guilty to feeding bears near her Mount Lemmon cabin, agreed to a court settlement that allows her to feed birds but prohibits her from feeding other wildlife.

If she adheres to the order, the conviction for criminal nuisance will be eliminated after 12 months.

Arizona Game and Fish officials had accused Thomas of feeding ice cream to bears.

Thomas could have been fined up to $500 and jailed for 30 days. News reports said she stood expressionless in court, then left hastily and without comment, chased by a photographer and television cameramen.

“Mrs. Thomas was the first defendant in Arizona or in any state in the union to be cited for criminal nuisance on a bear-feeding allegation,” said her attorney, Bradford Brown.

Wildlife officials say the combination of drought and carelessness by humans contributed to aggressive behavior by bears last summer. In the most serious incident, a 16-year-old girl camping elsewhere on the mountain was mauled while sleeping in a tent.