A black bear attacked two young children this week in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, sending the 5-year-old and the 14-month-old to the hospital with bite and scratch marks.
The marks did not threaten the lives of either unnamed child, both of whom have since been released from Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) has since set a pair of bear traps, and if DNA evidence matches a caught bear to the attack, that bear will be put down.
“This is an unfortunate incident and I’m relieved to hear their injuries aren’t severe,” PGC Executive Director Bryan Burhans said.
The state wildlife officials did not know what might have provoked the bear’s attack on the two children.
“There are few details about the incident or what might have provoked the attack … The bear involved in Monday’s incident likely isn’t prone to attack. The attack more likely was triggered by some unknown circumstance,” the PGC wrote.
Local residents, meanwhile, were surprised to hear what had happened. While bears are known to roam the area in search of food, they usually are wary of humans.
“I hunt from here to Tioga County. When you come near them, they run away. I can’t believe that it happened. They generally mind their own business. Those poor children. I hope they are OK,” Mountain Top resident Denise Frihart told the Citizens’ Voice newspaper.
Pennsylvania is home to 15,000 bears. Most human-bear conflict arises when a bear feels cornered, is set upon by a protective or aggressive dog, or perceives a threat to her cubs.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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