A 59-year-old man was hospitalized in Humboldt County, northern California, on Sunday after being repeatedly bitten by a bear that he was attempting to assist after finding it lying in the middle of a road.
Newsweek contacted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for comment on Wednesday via telephone and voicemail message outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Bear attacks on humans are rare but can be fatal, with eight people killed between 2020 and 2022, six by grizzly bears and two by black bears, according to The Times of London.
The National Parks Service warns people to keep their distance from bears and avoid anything that could surprise them. Bear numbers in the U.S. have increased substantially over the past few decades, and their range has also been extended in recent years.
What To Know
Speaking to local media outlet SFGATE, California Highway Patrol Sergeant Caleb Carsey said the office in Humboldt County was “flooded with 911 calls” on Saturday, with concerned citizens reporting a “very large” bear on Chezem Road, in a rural area southwest of Hoopa. Carsey said his office was told the bear appeared to be injured, and could have broken its back or legs.
Carsey said “our suspicion is that the bear was struck by a vehicle,” though this wasn’t confirmed by any witnesses. A number of passing drivers stopped, and one, a 59-year-old from Salyer, approached the bear in “an attempt to administer care.”
This startled the bear, which bit the man repeatedly on his left forearm. Carsey said in response to the bear, there was “quite a bit of traffic that stopped,” and fortunately, one driver was an off-duty emergency medical technician who put a tourniquet on the man’s injuries. Carsey described his presence at the scene as “nothing short of a miracle.”
The bitten man was later taken to the hospital by a Trinity Life Support ambulance, where he was still being treated as of Tuesday.
Later, the bear died of its injuries, with a California Department of Fish and Wildlife northern region information officer telling SFGATE it was a 400-pound male that was attempting to climb over a guardrail when it was struck.
In January, a black bear was shot dead in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, after attacking a man on his way back from the grocery store.
January also saw the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announce it would maintain protections for grizzly bears in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming despite complaints from some local Republicans.
What People Are Saying
Carsey said: “It’s a reminder to always be vigilant for animals in a roadway. Moreover, I’d stress the importance of not approaching injured animals. It’s a stark reminder that they’re still wildlife. They’re hurt, they’re scared, they don’t know what’s a threat, what’s not a threat…If we’ve learned anything from this, it’s to urge the public not to approach injured animals.”
On its website the National Park Service says that “keeping your distance and not surprising bears are some of the most important things you can do” to stay safe around bears.
It adds: “Most bears will avoid humans if they hear them coming. Pay attention to your surroundings and make a special effort to be noticeable if you are in an area with known bear activity or a good food source, such as berry bushes.”
What Happens Next
California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials took samples from the dead bear for their records. The agency is urging members of the public to keep their distance from any injured bears they come across going forward.
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