- A brave woman in Maine defended her pet dog from a black bear by delivering a powerful punch to its face.
- In retaliation, the bear bit the woman, resulting in her being taken to the hospital for treatment of puncture wounds.
- Authorities emphasize that bear attacks are uncommon and attribute the bear’s aggression to the defensive action taken by the woman.
According to a report, a courageous 64-year-old woman defended her dog from a black bear by throwing a punch at its face.
Lynn Kelly witnessed the bear pursuing her dog in the woods behind her home in Porter, Maine, on Friday morning.
“I noticed that my dog ran off the deck and straight down in front of the house down the hill,” Kelly recounted in an interview with WMUR 9.
“I heard him scream, squealing. And so, I ran over to where he had gone down and kept calling him and calling him, and he finally came running back up. And right behind him was the bear. And the bear looked at me, and I looked at the bear. I think we both scared each other.”
Despite attempting to frighten the bear with loud shouting, Kelly’s efforts were fruitless, leading her to resort to punching the bear in the snout.
“He was a foot taller than I was and coming at me. I tried to make myself as big as I could and was screaming and yelling,” she explained.
“I had to fight him off because I wasn’t gonna run from him because I know they can catch you. So I tried to give him a punch.”
In response, the bear bit Kelly, resulting in her needing medical treatment for four puncture wounds.
Mark Latti, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, cautioned against confronting bears, as reported by the New York Post.
While Maine boasts one of the largest populations of black bears on the eastern seaboard, bear bites are rare in the state.
The department believes that the bear’s attack was likely provoked by the punch delivered by Kelly.
American black bears can reach heights of five to seven feet when standing upright, with adult males typically weighing between 126–551 lb.
