Kate MacDonald
Special to the Sun

Twin Oaks resident Allena Hansen was walking with her dogs near her property the morning of July 22 when a black bear attacked and mauled her about the face and head. Hansen escaped and drove herself toward the fire station where she was airlifted to the hospital at UCLA. She underwent a ten-hour surgery last week, and is recovering, according to hospital spokespersons.

Department of Fish and Game Information Officer Harry Morris said that state biologists and a game warden searched the area for the bear the day of the attack and later brought in trackers and dogs subcontracted by the USDA Wildlife Service. The dogs caught the scent of the bear and “chased it over five files over very rugged terrain,” said Morris. But the trackers were unable to catch up with the bear and so culvert traps were set. As of press time the bear remains elusive. Local residents are not surprised that the attack happened. “The bears and wildlife must be confused with all the activity,” said Thompson Canyon resident Carol Hedges, referring to the recent Piute Fire which burned almost 40 thousand acres of forest near the location of the attack. “…helicopters, planes, fire retardant drops, people and bulldozers, fire and smoke,” Hedges detailed. “We should all take responsibility because we live in their area. The sad part is, why does he (the bear) have to lose his life? They are all upset after this fire. It’s a blessing from God to get to see a bear in the woods.”

Morris said that when – and if – the bear is trapped it will be destroyed and its DNA will be compared to samples taken from Hansen’s clothing after the incident. DNA testing to confirm the correct animal has been caught has been only introduced in the last few years. The DFG lab in Rancho Cordova is the most advanced in its use of forensic wildlife technologies in the country, according to Morris.

“How many bears will they kill?” worried Debra Hamren of Wofford Heights, and WH resident Amy Connor agreed. “We live in their backyard,” another local said.

The circumstances of the attack - whether Hansen’s dogs provoked the bear, whether the bear had cubs nearby, or lost them in the fire, or whether the bear had become displaced during the fire, may never be known. Many people believe that black bears are fearful and shy, likely to run away when encountering a human; but in fact, unprovoked bear attacks are not that uncommon. What’s unusual about Hansen’s experience is that she survived.

The idea that black bears are mostly harmless is pervasive. The DFG Public Safety categorizes public safety incidents involving wildlife into three types. The most severe of these is an attack resulting in physical contact, injury or death. “These incidents are very rare for black bears”, states an article entitled “Black Bears and Public Safety: The Reality” published by the DFG in 2002.

“Like many animals, they seldom attack unless cornered, threatened, or wounded. They are less likely to attack humans than grizzly bears and typically flee for cover as soon as they identify a human visitor…” says the popular online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

The black bear is the only species of bear left in California; the last grizzly - the bear on the Sate Flag – was shot in 1922. Not to be confused with their cousins, the brown bears that live in Canada and Alaska, black bears come in various colors: not only black, they can be cinnamon colored or brown; and white markings on their faces and chests are not uncommon. Adult bears are about 5 – 6 feet tall and can weigh from 400 to 600 pounds, but very large males have been recorded up to 880 pounds. Black bears are omnivores whose diet includes plants, meat, and insects. They are apex predators in North America, with the exception of areas where they coexist with the brown bear. The black bear eats a wide variety of foods, mainly herbs, nuts and berries; but also carrion, insects and fish, and will seek out food within orchards, beehives, and agricultural croplands. They may frequently raid garbage dumps, campsites, or appropriate food from the trash bins of businesses or private homes.

Making warning noises, playing dead, climbing a tree, or using a firearm or other weapon to defend oneself against a black bear are all strategies that people may not even get a chance to use. Many bear attacks are extremely fast and without warning. And the number of fatal bear attacks has been growing. There were about 52 recorded deaths due to black bears between 1990 and 2003; and about 50 deaths due to brown bears and grizzlies in the same period, according to Wikipedia.

In April, 2008, bear handler Stephen Miller, 39, was killed when a bear he was training to perform in the movies unexpectedly turned on him, fatally biting him in the neck.

Last May, Cecile Lavoie, 70, on a fishing trip, didn't return to her cabin, and her husband went looking for her. He found a bear dragging her body into the woods. Robin Kochorek, 31, was reported missing in 2007 after being separated from friends while mountain biking in British Columbia. She was killed by a black bear that was possessively guarding her remains. The gruesome list goes on: “Killed by a female and two cubs while he was walking back to his mining camp…” “Fatally mauled while picking plums…” “Killed while jogging with 2 friends…” “Found dead in the main cabin of his fishing camp…” “Stalked, killed and partially consumed by a large, black bear…”

The circumstances are all different; rarely are these attacks provoked, or even invited by irresponsible behavior of the victims. In most cases, they were not carrying food, or not being inattentive, or putting themselves in harm’s way. They were simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and encountered a black bear.

A 2001 National Geographic article titled “Predator Attacks Escalate as Americans Encroach on Wildlife Habitat” states: “Close encounters of the predator kind are on a definite upswing and so are injuries and deaths… While there are several factors behind the phenomenon, wildlife experts say the overriding reason for the increase is that there are simply a lot more people than there used to be and they are encroaching on wildlife habitat everywhere. ‘What is really amazing is that so few people are attacked,’ says Michael Conover, director of the Jack Berryman Institute at Utah State University, which researches people-wildlife conflicts. "Why don't hungry cougars and bears commonly prey upon humans, especially children? People are much easier to catch and kill than deer or elk and are more abundant.’”

The last bear attack in Kern County occurred in August 1998, according to the DFG. A couple was attacked by a sow (female) bear with two cubs while they were camping in the Piute Mountains. They reported being awakened at 5:30 a.m. by a noise then saw the bears within a few feet of them. When the man sat up to see what the bears were doing, the sow attacked. The man sustained extensive damage to both his forearms, as well as deep cuts to his back and wounds to his legs. The woman sustained a cut underneath her eyelid and superficial wounds on her legs. Both were treated at a hospital. The sow was later shot and killed, and the yearling cubs were released nearby.

While safely stowing food, never leaving dog or cat food or garbage outside, and being aware while in the woods and especially if one sees recent bear tracks can all help to keep us safe, sometimes it is simply not enough. What’s clear is that a bear attack can happen for no reason we humans can fathom.

Sources for this story include: Scripps Howard News Service; the Associated Press; California Department of Fish and Game; The National Park Service; The California State Library; “Alaska Bear Tales”, Alaska Northwest Publishing Company, by Larry Kanuit, copyright 1983; and KCFD Engineer Dwight Bowman.

Kate MacDonald can be reached at mountainmustangs@gmail.com