Woman bitten by black bear in Connecticut

AVON, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) - A woman was bitten by a bear in Avon on Friday morning.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said it was investigating the attack.

The victim was a 74-year-old woman who was out walking her dog. She suffered non-life-threatening superficial injuries with minor puncture wounds on her arm and leg, authorities said.

She managed to walk back to her home and call for help.

After declining medical attention on scene, she went to the hospital herself to be treated.

“In these situations, public safety is DEEP’s top priority,” the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said. “Under DEEP’s Black Bear Response protocol, an attack on a human is a category 4 response, meaning humane euthanization of the bear.”

The agency confirmed that a 12-year-old female bear was euthanized. She had three cubs with her, but authorities said they are yearlings who are just about ready to make it on their own.

Officials said they’ve seen an increase in bear-human conflicts in the past years, including one euthanized in a home this past week.

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