A woman in Porter, Maine, took on a black bear to rescue her beloved dog on Friday.
When Lynn Kelly went outside to check on her dog that morning, she saw the pup being chased by the bear and knew it was up to her to intervene, WMUR reported Friday.
The scene unfolded after her pet darted off the deck and down a hill. It was not long before Kelly heard the dog squealing and she rushed toward the sound.
She recalled, “He finally came running back up, and right behind him was the bear. The bear looked at me, and I looked at the bear. I think we both scared each other.”
The woman tried to appear bigger and yell to frighten the bear away, to no avail. Therefore, when the bear got closer to her, she punched it, and the animal bit her hand and wrist.
Kelly’s dog, Scooby, was apparently fine after the incident, and a photo shows the pup standing on her deck:
According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the state is home to the largest black bear population in the eastern part of the country.
The agency noted the bears are most active between April and November.
“When natural foods are scarce, especially in the spring or dry summers, bears will venture into backyards and fields in search of easily accessible food such as bird feeders, garbage, grills and pet foods,” the website read.
People can avoid conflicts with bears by removing or securing attractants such as bird feeders, garbage cans, and feeding pets indoors.
Video footage shows Kelly’s property where the bear encounter took place:
After Kelly’s altercation with the bear that left her bloodied, she ran back inside to call 911 for help. She was eventually taken to a hospital in New Hampshire and treated for puncture wounds.
Even though such encounters are rare, authorities are calling the recent incident a “provoked attack” and set up live-capture traps in the area.
“Anyone with a dog who has seen bears in the neighborhood is advised to walk the dog on a non-retractable leash and turn around and leave if a bear is spotted. Officials said you should not get between your dog and a bear,” the WMUR report said.
State wildlife officials describe black bears as being the smallest among the three species which are the black, brown/grizzly, and polar bears.
A Grizzly bear mother and her cub walk near Pelican Creek in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images).
“Over the past century, conflicts between bears and humans in Maine have lessened with changes in agricultural practices, the decline of farming, increased interest in bear hunting, and the species’ rise in status as a game animal,” the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said.