"If a bear attacks, fight back?" Black bear badly hurt by strong punch from American woman

Attacked by a Black Bear in the Cascade Mountains, Washington State, USA
Fought Back by Punching the Nose... Female Black Bear Killed by Authorities

[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] A woman in the United States became a hot topic after delivering a precise punch to the face of a wild black bear in a life-threatening situation, repelling the bear's attack.

According to NBC on the 23rd (local time), the unidentified woman was walking her dog around 7 a.m. the previous day in the Cascade Mountains in Leavenworth, Washington, when she was attacked from behind by a female American black bear.

The woman fell to the ground due to the attack but immediately turned her body and struck the bear's nose with a precise punch, according to a zoologist from the Rich Bosoley State Wildlife Management Department, who told NBC's local affiliate. Bosoley added, "After the black bear was hit on the nose, it shook its body and ran away."

During this incident, the woman sustained considerable injuries and is receiving hospital treatment, but her life is not in danger.

Bosoley explained, "When encountering a wild bear, it is generally advised to make yourself look bigger. Clapping hands, shouting, or waving arms." He added, "It seems this woman did not realize the bear was approaching and could not take such actions." He continued, "If a bear knocks you down, the solution is to fight the bear," adding, "(Throwing a punch) was this woman's instinct."

The problematic female black bear that attacked the person was shot by authorities on the same day. The black bear was reported to have two nine-month-old cubs. Authorities captured the two cubs and transferred them to a wildlife protection facility.

It has not been determined whether the bear became aggressive because of the cubs. Bears, which are animals with particularly strong maternal instincts, show strong aggression if their territory is invaded or if their cubs are threatened. However, unlike grizzly bears, which become very aggressive near their cubs, black bears rarely attack people to protect their young. According to records from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), there have been 19 incidents of black bear attacks causing injury since 1970. The last fatality occurred in 1974.

Meanwhile, in Japan on the 5th, a video was posted on a YouTube account showing a man subduing a bear with his foot after being attacked. The man in the video, a black belt trained in martial arts such as karate, shouted loudly and struck the bear multiple times with his hands and feet to drive it away. According to the video, this bear also had cubs nearby.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.