So much for the safety of your own home.
In a rare occurrence two separate bear attacks have been reported this week, both of which happened while homeowners were fiddling around in their garages at home.
While most attacks take place out in the woods when we are on their turf, the truth is, domestic attacks do happen as well. Bears will often venture into cars, cabins and homes in search of food and in the case of these two garages, that seems to be the case.
Turning off the Hose in Pennsylvania
The first incident took place last week in Montour County, Pennsylvania. The homeowner was tending to the last of his daily yard chores and entered his garage to turn off the hose he was using to fill his pool. It was at this moment he heard a grunt and was instantly attacked. The bear clamped down on the 47-year-old John Swartz’s head .
“I made about five steps and reached down to turn the water off, and I think as soon as I touched the spigot, I got pummeled,” he said. “It was something huge. It hurt, and it was loud, like a growl. I got hit against the shelves, and I remember holding my head.”
Swartz was able to escape the bear and get out of the garage.
The assumption is that the bear entered the garage in search of food from the family trash bin and was cornered once Swartz entered.
Traps have been set by wildlife officials in an attempt to capture the bear, but Swartz maintains that he passes no blame to the bear for what transpired.
“It’s very understandable as to why the bear did what it did. I surprised (it) and it surprised me,” he said. “It had one way out and it was through me.”
Feeding the Kids in Idaho
The second reported attack took place in the Henderson Canyon region in Southern Idaho. As he was opening the garage door to his home, he was suddenly attacked by a sow black bear who had a cub in tow.
The attack seemingly didn’t last long and the victim was able to escape and call Idaho Fish & Game to report the incident. Wildlife officials located both the sow and the cub and euthanized the animals in the interest of public safety.
