Woman Attacked by Black Bear at Popular Hiking Destination

A woman and her dogs were attacked by a black bear while hiking on a popular trail. The woman said she was walking with her dogs when she saw a big black bear on the trail in front of her. The bear charged her, knocked her down and started biting her head, side, and stomach. During the attack the woman managed to call her family that was staying about 30 minutes walk away in a cabin and they rushed to help her. When they arrived, the bear was still at the scene and the family members had to scare the bear away.

A Department of Fish and Game representative said her injuries were serious and that she had lost a lot of blood in the attack according to news reports. She was flown to a Spokane hospital but her injuries are not life threatening. Trackers were trying to find the bear and shoot it because it stayed around after the attack, but then found cub prints nearby and they let it go. The bear appears to have been protecting its cub and the woman says she will carry bear spray next time she goes hiking in the area.