A Pittsburgh-area woman who was protecting her dog sustained non-life-threatening injuries when she was attacked Tuesday night by a mother bear protecting her cubs.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. in Butler Township, about 35 miles north of Pittsburgh, when Lee Ann Galante went outside to check on her barking dog.
Galante, 55, discovered her dog in an altercation with a black bear accompanied by three cubs. As she attempted to separate her dog, she was bitten on the head. She also suffered injuries to her face, neck and both arms.
Galante managed to free herself and got back inside her house with the dog, which was unharmed. She was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for treatment of her injuries and is expected to leave in good condition.
The mother bear was euthanized at the scene after continuing to be aggressive, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said. The cubs were tranquilized and transported to an undisclosed location. They may be tagged and released into an wilderness area, though a spokesperson for the commission told WTAE that they’re “leaning more towards caution and probably euthanizing these cubs to test them for rabies just in case.”
“This is a first for me and first for the area,” Sgt. Thomas Vensel of the Butler Township Police told CBS Pittsburgh. “Talked to some people [who said] they’d been seeing [bears] in the area. Obviously, there was a bird feeder up here that was knocked down. We had warm weather lately, so I’m assuming these animals are out and about.”
One neighbor told TribLive she had seen a bear in the area at least 10 times within the last month, while another’s doorbell camera captured four bears rummaging through trash cans.
Officials advised homeowners to bring bird feeders, pets, pet food and trash indoors at night since bears are leaving hibernation and looking for food. People should also not get between a mother bear and their cubs.
