Global Courant 2023-05-24 12:40:36
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, two young children were injured in a bear attack in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
The five-year-old and one-year-old were playing in the driveway of their home in Wright Township on Monday when they suffered non-life-threatening injuries from a bear. They were treated for bites and scratches at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital but were later released.
The Game Commission, which is investigating the incident, said there are few details about the incident or what may have led to the attack. The agency has set up two bear traps in the area.
The agency said that if a bear is captured, DNA testing could positively determine whether it is the same bear that attacked the children.
COLORADO HOMEOWNER TAKES VIDEO OF BEAR OPENING FRONT DOOR
Two young children were injured by a bear attack, officials said. (iStock)
Bears in the state typically avoid human contact and rarely attack, according to the Game Commission.
“When attacks do occur, they often involve a situation where a bear is cornered and not given a chance to flee, or caused by a dog confronting a bear and the dog’s owner getting involved,” wrote the agency on Facebook.
The bear involved in Monday’s attack is unlikely to be attack-prone, the agency said, adding that the attack was more likely caused by “an unknown circumstance.”
If the bear involved in the attack is captured, it will be euthanized as a precaution.
WYOMING HUNTER WHO WOULD HAVE KILLED A GRIZZLY BEAR NEAR YELLOWSTONE IS A YEAR BEHIND THE BARS
The Pennsylvania Game Commission said bears typically avoid human contact. (Pennsylvania Game Commission)
“Bears have a natural fear of humans, but they may lose some of that fear if they live close to humans, and especially if they are fed,” the Game Commission wrote. “For this reason, it is illegal in Pennsylvania to intentionally feed bears.”
Global Courant
“But even without intentional feeding, bears can be lured to properties where they can find an easy meal at a bird feeder, by raiding compost bins or garbage cans, or by knocking over a charred grill,” the post continued. “Those living in bear country might consider removing these potential food sources from places where bears can get them, and where bears have been a problem lately, such items should absolutely be removed.”
There are about 15,000 bears in Pennsylvania.
