60-Year-Olds Punch Bears in Face to Save Their Dogs

Two people in their 60s were recently injured in two separate incidents when they tried to stop bears from attacking their dogs, the Washington Post reported. The seniors came face-to-face with the animals when their beloved pets tried to protect their yards. Both are expected to be OK. Read on to find out what they did in the heat of the moment and what experts say you should do to avoid bear encounters—and survive one if it's unavoidable.

On June 30 in Porter, Maine, a black bear bit 64-year-old Lynn Kelly after she punched it in the nose, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said. The confrontation happened after Kelly's dog ran into the forest near her home and returned with the bear following it. As the bear approached, Kelly made herself as tall as she could, then punched it, the department said. The bear bit her in the right hand, then fled. Kelly was treated at a nearby hospital for a punctured wrist.

Kelly told 7 News that the bear "just kept coming closer, so I had to fight him off because I wasn't going to run from him because I know they'll catch you."  The bear was "a foot taller than I was and coming at me," she said. "Then he stood up, and I tried to make myself as big as I could and was screaming and yelling."

On July 1, a 65-year-old man in Litchfield, Connecticut, suffered minor injuries after he tried to stop a bear from attacking his dog, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said.  The bear apparently came into the man's yard to look at bird feeders on the porch. A dog spotted the bear and chased it; the bear then attacked the dog. The man intervened and was bitten on his hand by the bear. The man, who has not been identified, was treated at a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

According to Connecticut Public, that was the second reported bear attack in Connecticut this year. The first also involved a dog. In April, a 74-year-old woman was bitten multiple times by a bear while walking her dog.  In 2023, there have been more than 5,500 sightings of bears across the state, DEEP reports. Bird feeders and trash cans are the leading causes of bear conflicts and damage reports in the state, the agency says. It advises that bird feeders should be removed from late March through November when bears are especially active. Other recommendations: Clean barbecue grills after using them and store grills inside; don't leave food or trash bags out unattended; and store garbage in secure, airtight containers inside a garage or other enclosed storage area.

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According to the National Park Service, if you surprise a bear and it's not acting in a predatory way toward you, you should wave your arms to show the bear that you're human, then "slowly and calmly back away while avoiding direct eye contact." If a black bear charges or attacks, the Park Service advises you to "fight back with everything you have." (But the type of bear matters. The agency's advice for grizzly bears is "Play dead. Do not fight back.") Wildlife experts told the Washington Post that if you must confront a bear, you should focus your blows on its face. Don't run—bear could see you as prey, and it can outrun you.