After Bear Injures Couple, They Hurt It Right Back

A pre-dawn clash between pets and wildlife in Mammoth Lakes ended with a husband and wife hurt and a young black bear dead. Police say the encounter began around 6am Monday when a woman rushed outside after hearing her dogs barking and saw a 17-month-old, 70-pound bear fighting with one of them. When she tried to break it up, the bear allegedly turned on her, biting and clawing. Her husband came to help and was also injured before the pair used a water bottle and the blunt end of a hatchet to beat the animal back, critically injuring it, per KTLA and the Los Angeles Times.

The couple drove themselves to a hospital and are expected to recover, as are their dogs. Wildlife officers later located and euthanized the bear, calling such aggressive behavior "extremely rare" for the area. "Bears almost always avoid humans and will flee when confronted," Police Chief Dan Casabian said, per KTLA. "This could have been a lot worse," added an official with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.