According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, a bear attack in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, injured two small children. On Monday, while playing in the driveway of their residence in Wright Township, a bear inflicted non-life-threatening injuries on the 5-year-old and 1-year-old. They were treated at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for bites and injuries before release.
The Game Commission, which is conducting an investigation into the incident, stated that there are few details regarding the incident and what may have precipitated the assault. Two bear traps have been set by the agency in the area.
If a bear is captured, DNA testing may be able to conclusively ascertain if it is the same bear that attacked the children, according to the agency.
The Game Commission reports that bears in the state typically avoid human contact and rarely attack.
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“When attacks do occur, they typically involve a bear being cornered and unable to escape, or a dog confronting a bear and the dog’s owner intervening,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
The agency stated that the bear involved in Monday’s assault is unlikely to be aggressive and that the attack was likely triggered by “some unknown circumstance.” As a precaution, the bear implicated in the attack will be euthanized if it is captured.
The Game Commission wrote, “Bears have a natural fear of humans, but they can lose some of this fear if they live close to humans and are fed.” It is, therefore, illegal in Pennsylvania to intentionally feed bears.
“But even without intentional feeding, bears may be drawn to properties where they can find an easy meal at a birdfeeder, by raiding compost bins or trash cans, or by toppling a charred grill,” the post continued. “Those who live in bear country should consider removing these potential food sources from areas where bears could access them, and in areas where bears have recently been a problem, these items should be removed without question.” Pennsylvania contains approximately 15,000 bears.
