A 64-year-old woman has been savaged by a bear after trying to defend her dog while wildlife officials are urging the public to stay away from animals
A woman survived a bear attack when the wild animal chased her dog near her home in Maine.
Lynn Kelly, 64, was working in her yard in Porter, near the New Hampshire border, on Friday when her dog Scooby started barking.
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Around 11:30 a.m., he heard something in the nearby forest and ran away, she told local reporters WMUR.
“I noticed my dog ran down the hill from the patio right in front of the house,” Kelly said.
“And the next What I did know was that I could hear him screaming and screaming. And so I would run to where he fell and keep calling him and eventually he would come running back up.”
“And right behind him was the bear,” she said.
“The bear looked at me and I looked at the bear. I think we both scared each other.”
She said she immediately tried to protect her dog.
“I was trying to make myself as big and loud as possible by yelling and screaming and he was still going on, so I ended up hitting him — and he bit me,” she said video interview.
As she began bleeding from her wounds, she ran inside and called 911, she said.
The bear attack left multiple puncture holes and a large laceration on Kelly’s right wrist and arm.
She was treated at North Conway Hospital in nearby New Hampshire.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife described the incident as a “provoked attack,” but told WMUR that they set two live traps for the bear just in case it posed a threat.
Officials told Kelly there had been no bear attacks in the area for the past 50 years, she said.
Wildlife officers also said residents should remain vigilant when outdoors, particularly in or near wooded areas, and make sure they don’t leave unsecured litter, bird feeders or other types of food outdoors that could attract bears.
Dog owners are advised to walk their pets on non-retractable leashes and walk away if a bear appears.
It is not recommended to hit the bear like Kelly did.