HANOVER, GERMANY A performing bear entertaining pensioners in a German retirement home accidentally sat on a 90-year-old and killed her, the manager of the home said Wednesday.
"Nora," a 485-pound brown bear, was being led into a hall when she stumbled over the woman's wheelchair, lost her footing and fell on the woman, who later died in hospital from her injuries. |
The 485-lb. bear was only supposed to sit on a bench not a spectator. |
He declined to give his full name because he and the handler face charges of culpable manslaughter.
Nora, who has appeared on German television, is still performing. The incident happened during a Christmas party for 40 elderly people in 2000 and has now come to trial.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For you detail-obsessed types, this event occurred at the Katharinenhof retirement home in Hanover. Nora's handler is 57-year-old Dieter Kraml of Alfeld. As of this writing, the court case is in recess due to an illness of one of the defendants.