Bear that mauled caretaker put to death today

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A bear that mauled to death a caretaker was euthanized today at the request of the family of the victim, whose father said he had told his son to leave the job.

The bear attacked Brent Kandra, 24, when he opened its cage Thursday for a routine feeding at the home of a man who kept a menagerie of wolves, tigers and bears on the property southwest of Cleveland.

The owner, Sam Mazzola, who has drawn criticism from animal rights activists for letting people wrestle with one of his bears, had said Kandra's family would decide the bear's fate.

Kandra's father, John, said he and his ex-wife, Deirdre Herbert, needed the bear to die. He also said his son felt shortchanged by Mazzola when payday rolled around.

"It just seemed like Sam kind of took advantage of my son," Kandra's father said. "I told him a couple times, 'I really wish you wouldn't work for him.'"

Mazzola's lawyer didn't return a call seeking comment Saturday.

After the bear was put to death by a veterinarian, John Kandra recalled his son, a little blond boy who fished his way through childhood in the rivers of northeastern Ohio, baiting bullfrogs with a blade of grass and catching carp big enough to shame the tallest teller of fish tales.

"I can't think of when he wasn't involved with animals," Kandra said.