A man in the eastern Sierra town of Mammoth Lakes fended off a bear with a hatchet after the bruin attacked him, a woman and the couple’s two dogs Monday morning, authorities say.
The 70-pound bear, according to local and state officials, was wandering near the couple’s home in the town’s Old Mammoth area when the family dogs got into a skirmish with the bear. The woman attempted to separate the animals but became entangled in the fight, with the bear clawing and biting her, officials said.
The man reportedly fetched a hatchet, and with the woman, used the short-handle ax and a water bottle to subdue the bear so that the animal “was unable to stand,” officials said.
The couple sustained “significant” injuries, according to the Mammoth Lakes Police Department, but they were able to drive to Mammoth Hospital. The dogs sustained “minor” injuries and were expected to recover, police said.
Officers and biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to the attack, finding the bear severely injured. Deeming it “a public safety concern,” agency officials euthanized the animal. It was estimated to be 17 months old.
“This type of aggressive behavior is highly unusual,” Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Dan Casabian said in a statement. “We are grateful that the victims are expected to make full recoveries.”
Bear attacks in California are rare. The state is home exclusively to black bears, which are smaller and not as combative as grizzlies.
The only known time a bear killed a person in California was two years ago, when a woman was reportedly mauled at her home in the Sierra County community of Downieville, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
California’s bear population has grown in recent decades. So have human encounters with bears as the animals seek new places to roam, often where towns and neighborhoods have expanded into previously wild areas. Bears taking food from campgrounds, cars and even homes is not uncommon.