Lynn Kelly, 64, was gardening outside her home in Porter, Maine when her dog bolted into the woods and pursued something that had disturbed it. After fending off a black bear that had chased her dog, a 64-year-old woman needed sutures. The dog quickly returned, trailed by a fully grown black bear.
Lynn responded appropriately to the incident, according to Mark Latti, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
However, he cautioned against confronting black bears, which Lynne did by hitting the bear on the snout.
Lynn told the local media, “He was a foot taller than I was and coming at me. I tried to make myself as big as I could and was screaming and yelling.” Added, “I had to fight him off because I wasn’t gonna run from him, because I know they can catch you.”
The bear then used its teeth to briefly grip Lynn’s wrist, leaving her with a gash that required multiple stitches at a local hospital.
Lynn added, “It all just happened so quick. To see a bear up that close was a little unnerving.”
Though Maine has one of the greatest black bear populations on the East Coast, bear assaults of this nature are uncommon.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife advises residents to remove items that may attract a bear’s attention from outside their homes, such as rubbish and pet food, as well as bird feeders.
Lynn’s adventure came only two weeks after Altha Williams, 90, of Sevierville, Tennessee, fought off a black bear with a lawn chair.
Altha miraculously escaped with only a scratch on her arm, despite the bear’s three cubs being close.
“I’ve been praising the Lord ever since then, because I may not be here,” she told the local media.
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