It was about 2 p.m. and the teen was walking down a hill near a remote creek in Montana in search of shed antlers when he heard a thump. He turned to find a bear charging at him.
The 17-year-old was unable to grab his bear spray, according to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and the bear pinned him against a tree and held him there.
“When the bear let go, the teen fell over and attempted to crawl between two trees and protect his head and vitals. The bear then pinned him face-down on the ground,” the department said in a statement recounting the attack that happened on April 7.
Wearing a hoodie and a backpack, the young man finally was able to grab his bear spray, reached over his shoulder and sprayed the bear, spurring the beast to scurry away.
After making radio contact with his family, the teen was transported to Madison Valley Medical Center, about a two-hour drive south in Ennis, where he was treated and released. Wolf Creek, near the site of the attack, is a tributary of the Madison River and is about 30 miles south of Ennis.
Based on the teen’s description of the bear, the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks said the bear was likely a grizzly.
“The bear’s behavior in this incident appears to be typical of surprise close encounters,” the department said. “FWP will continue to monitor the area, which is well within occupied bear habitat.”
The department reminded hikers and other nature lovers to be vigilant during the nonwinter months. Safeguards include carrying bear spray, traveling in groups, avoiding animal carcasses and following food storage regulations. If someone encounters a bear, she or he should back away slowly and exit the area, the department said.
Cougar Attacks 7-Year-Old Boy, Mother Pries Its Jaw Open
LAKE COWICHAN—The father of a 7-year-old boy who was attacked by a cougar in a small lakeside community on Vancouver Island is crediting his wife’s quick actions for his son’s survival.
Kevin Bromley says his son Zach was playing in the family’s backyard in Lake Cowichan, B.C., on March 31, when a cougar leaped toward him but banged into a fence before clawing its way through.
Kevin says his wife Chelsea heard the fence rattle and looked out to see the cougar trying to drag her son away.
‘She’s the hero’: Mom saves son, 7, from cougar attack on Vancouver Island https://t.co/lxryqmzkDm pic.twitter.com/6JquKFjqXF
— The Province (@theprovince) April 2, 2019
She jumped down the back stairs and started trying to pry the animal’s jaws open, crying out to God for help, before it released its grip on his left arm and ran away.
Kevin says Zach is recovering at his grandparents’ house with gashes to his head, neck, and arm.
He says conservation officers have euthanized the animal, which appeared to be a juvenile.
Mountain Lion Encounters
The Mason County Sheriff’s office announced they had received a call on March 25 about a mountain lion, also known as a cougar, that was responsible for an attack on a beach north of Hoodsport.
The mountain lion attacked, killed, and ate a dog in Washington state while it was on an afternoon walk with its owner along the beach.
“Wildlife had to dispatch the cougar that had eaten the dog,” wrote the sheriff’s office in a statement that was posted along with a picture of the dead cougar.
Reports of the incident stirred plenty of discussion on local social media, with the shooting of the cougar proving divisive.
“Why did they ‘have to?,'” wrote one person on Facebook. “I thought only animals who attack humans have to be euthanized. Sad for the family who lost their pet and for the cougar as well.”
However, some defended the actions of the police.
“Thats a good sized healthy cat and the point being it attacked without fear of a human and for all if you that have never been attacked or stalked by one hush your mouths. You have no idea what fear is. Thank you law enforcement,” wrote another Facebook user.
In February a woman pried apart what she thought were fighting dogs outside her Idaho home only to discover the animal she was gripping in one hand was a juvenile mountain lion.
According to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), a woman noticed her dog fighting outside her home in the small town of Mackay on the morning of Jan. 30.
Assuming it was another dog, she quickly intervened.
“As she pulled the two animals apart, she realized that in one hand she held a juvenile, male mountain lion about 35 pounds, and not another dog as she expected,” said a statement from IDFG. “The woman restrained both her dog and the mountain lion while yelling for her husband, who was still inside the house, to grab a gun.”
“Her husband responded and quickly dispatched the mountain lion as she held on to it.”
According to the IDFG, Idaho has an abundant and sustainable mountain lion population.
Earlier this year, a Colorado trail runner fought off a juvenile mountain lion in Colorado, sustaining serious injuries from bites before he broke free and killed the animal.
Those who are lucky—or unlucky—enough to have a rare encounter with a mountain lion are advised by the Colorado Wildlife Parks to stay calm, talk firmly to it, and never turn your back on the animal.
“Stop or back away slowly, if you can do it safely,” said the CWP advice. “Running may stimulate a lion’s instinct to chase and attack. Face the lion and stand upright.”
Never approach a lion, especially one with kittens.
If the lion behaves aggressively, the advice is to throw stones, branches or whatever is to hand—but “without crouching down or turning your back. ”
“Fight back if a lion attacks you. Lions have been driven away by prey that fights back. People have fought back with rocks, sticks, caps or jackets, garden tools, and their bare hands successfully. We recommend targeting the eyes and nose as these are sensitive areas.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Epoch Times reporter Simon Veazey contributed to this report.
