A Vermont woman’s rescue from a bear attack is being credited to none other than her small dog, who lured the massive mammal away from what could’ve easily been a fatal incident, officials say.
Susan Lee’s Jack Russell Terrier is being described by agents from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department as possessing “some ninja moves” for his fast-acting response to begin barking at a black bear who charged at the 61-year-old while she was taking her two dogs for a stroll along her property in Strafford, located about 70 miles southeast of Burlington.
While Ms Lee was walking her Jack Russell Terrier and labradoodle on 20 August along a trail in the small town, she told the Vermont agency how she first heard “a loud noise” before she made the terrifying realisation that a mother black bear was charging at her from the woods.
“Ms Lee stated that she tripped on a stone wall as the bear charged her,” the agency reported in its statement about the incident, adding that this trip would ultimately lead to the bear grabbing onto her upper left leg where it would tear a bite wound into her upper left leg.
She was also left with "multiple scratches" between two-to-nine inches long on both sides of her body, officials said.
As Ms Lee lay on the ground, helpless in the bear’s clutches, her Jack Russell Terrier – who likely sized up no more than 20lbs to the mother bear’s 90 to 175lbs – began barking at the massive mammal.
The shrill and persistent yaps seemed to either frighten, disturb or, at the very least, distract the bear for long enough to allow the woman to flee from the scene, giving her time to retreat down the trail with her small pet following closely behind.
The labradoodle, who had not been present at the time of the attack, also returned home shortly after she and her other canine friend had retreated from the bear, who was not seen by the woman after the initial charging.
After returning home, the Vermont agency reported that Ms Lee called 911 and was assisted by a neighbour in being driven to Gifford Medical Center, located about 35 minutes away from where the 61-year-old lives.
She was treated for the non-life-threatening injuries at the hospital and while there, she was interviewed by Game Warden Kyle Isherwood.
Game Warden Sergeant Jeffrey Whipple and department biologist Jaclyn Comeau were later joined by Mr Isherwood at the site of the attack, where the group inspected the scene and arrived at the conclusion that the bear was a mother and had been protecting her young cubs, who seemed to be close to where Ms Lee had been hiking.
The bear in question has not been located, but the agency said they have no plans to attempt to trap it as they believe it was an isolated incident, provoked by the unique circumstances of Ms Lee and her dogs startling the mother bear.
“Bear attacks are extremely rare in Vermont,” said Ms Comeau in a statement shared by the agency, adding that the department has records of only three prior bear attacks in the state.
“However, at this time of year black bears are moving in family units and mothers will be protective of their cubs. If confronted by a bear it is essential to remain calm and back away slowly, and to fight back immediately if attacked.”
Though black bears are known to be reserved and shy, preferring habitats that are less crowded and little to no human activity, according to the state, the game wardens assigned to Ms Lee’s case believe that had it not been for her furry friend, her story about an attack could’ve had a much more morbid ending.
“If I were to predict what would have happened if the dog wasn’t there, the bear may have caused more damage to her,” said Mr Whipple in an interview with USA Today. “But most likely, when she was knocked down and was out of the fight, the bear would have got off of her and retreated.”
In Vermont, black bears are the only species of bears that remain, with a population of about 6,000 throughout the entire state.
