Black bear
At about 11:30 p.m. Monday a woman who lives in Magalia heard a noise in her yard and her dog began barking. She let the dog out, heard sounds of a fight and stepped out herself.
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife Capt. Patrick Foy, she said a bear immediately came out from beneath a blue tarp, clawed her on the shoulder and bit her before running off.
The woman was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening wounds and given rabies treatment. The dog, a 9-year-old golden retriever, was taken to a veterinarian, and is in tough shape, according to Foy. "Sounds like he fought hardily," Foy said of the dog.
Fish and Wildlife are deploying a trap to the area to try and capture the offending bear. Foy said it should be in place by the end of the day.
If a bear is trapped, it will probably be taken to Sacramento to see if its DNA can be matched to that on the woman's clothing. If so, the animal will be killed as a threat. If not, it will be released into the wild.
For the next few days. Foy recommends residents in the area put their garbage in the garage or other secure area, as it's believed that's what attracted this bear. People should also keep pets and pet food inside at night, and pick up any rotten fruit that may have fallen from trees.
People who jog should carry a whistle that could scare off an attacking animal, or pepper spray if they have it.
Foy said bear attacks on humans are unusual, with the last one he can recall being a couple of years ago at Lake Tahoe.
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record
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