A black bear charged a Washington woman walking her dog, police say
By Chuck Johnston and Zoe Sottile, CNN
A Washington woman received “non-life-threatening injuries” after a black bear charged her while she was walking her dog on Saturday, police say.
Fish and wildlife officials received a report about the incident at around 7 a.m. on Saturday, according to a news release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The encounter occurred near Washington’s Enchantment Park in the city of Leavenworth.
The adult female black bear attacked the woman shortly after she let her dog out on Saturday morning, according to the release. She is currently being treated at a local hospital.
Police used a Karelian bear dog, a specialized Finnish breed used for hunting, to track the bear and killed her.
They also found the bear’s two cubs, which they captured and transported to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Washington state is home to around 20,000 black bears, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The bears can weigh up to 300 pounds and stand five feet tall when standing upright.
Bear attacks on humans in the United States are fairly uncommon, but they do happen occasionally. Since 1970, there have been 20 documented human injuries caused by bears, including one fatal attack, the department says.
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