Washington wildlife officials kill black bear that attacked woman walking dog

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What to do when a bear attacks

If you encounter a bear making aggressive moves, this is what to do to save your life.

Wildlife officials in Washington state killed a female black bear over the weekend after the animal attacked a woman who was walking her dog.

The unprovoked attack happened around 7 a.m. Saturday outside a residence in Leavenworth near Enchantment Park, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said.

The 68-year-old woman was walking her dog when the female black bear charged her from behind, officials said.

The victim fought back against the bear, punching the animal several times during the nearly 15-second attack, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said.

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The woman suffered "significant injuries" and was treated at Wenatchee Hospital, according to authorities. No update on her condition was immediately available.

A female black bear was killed after it charged a woman walking her dog in Leavenworth, Washington, on Saturday. (iStock)

Wildlife officers used a Karelian bear dog to track the female black bear, which was located later that morning with two cubs near where the incident occurred, officials said. 

The adult bear was killed, and the two cubs, each approximately 9 months old, were captured and taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

State authorities said the only reported fatal black bear attack on a human was recorded in 1974. (iStock)

There have been 20 recorded encounters between humans and black bears that resulted in injury since 1970, according to state authorities. 

The only reported fatal black bear attack on a human was recorded in 1974, WDFW said.

The bear attack in Washington comes on the heels of several other attacks across the country.

A 65-year-old man in west-central Wyoming accidentally shot himself in the leg while trying to fight off a grizzly bear hunting with his son in an area south of Grand Teton National Park on Friday evening.

Two grizzly bear attacks were reported in Wyoming last week. (iStock)

Within the same week, two Northwest College wrestlers were attacked by a grizzly bear while they were searching for antlers shed by deer and elk in the Cody area of Wyoming on Oct. 15.

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Across the country in Connecticut, a 250-pound black bear mauled a 10-year-old boy playing in his grandparents’ backyard and tried to drag him away before police fatally shot the animal.