A Pennsylvania father is counting his lucky stars after he was bitten on the head by a bear he encountered in his garage last week, according to security camera video shared on social media.
Lori and John Swartz of Danville, Pennsylvania, shared video of the Thursday night attack on Facebook.
One video shows the bear walk along their grass, onto their porch and amble into the garage area near a car, out of the camera’s view.
Another clip shows the moment Swartz walks into the garage behind the car and his two cats suddenly run towards him. Moments later, he flies backward as the bear appears to lunge at him while fleeing the garage. He scrambles to get up and is seen holding his forehead and bolting back inside the home.
Swartz was left with large bite marks on his head and bruises on his body, he told NorthcentralPA.com.
The 60-year-old explained that he had gone into the garage to turn off a hose, but it was dark so he couldn’t see the bear at first. He believes the animal was lured by the small of garbage in the garage.
Swartz told the outlet he believed it was the squeak of turning the hose valve that startled the bear, and soon after he felt an impact and heard a growl.
“I grabbed my head because I knew I had an injury,” Swartz said to outlet.
He said he felt the animal run past him before he darted back inside, where his stunned wife called 911. As they waited for an ambulance, they saw the bear — which he described as tall, skinny and weighing an estimated 250 pounds — near their RV. NBC News has reached out to the couple for further details.
Swartz suffered lacerations and puncture wounds to his head and legs, Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Adam Reed said Wednesday.
“I’m going to be a little cautious of my surroundings from now on,” Swartz said to NorthcentralPA.com.
The bear ran from the home, but a trap — reportedly filled with donuts and sugary syrup — was set up by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, state police said.
It’s not clear if the animal has been captured yet. NBC News has reached out to the Game Commission for comment.
A similar incident unfolded Monday in Idaho, where a man was attacked by a black bear as he opened his garage door.
The Idaho Fish and Game said in a news release that the Teton Valley man was injured by a sow black bear with a cub. The bear and her cub were located in the area and “were lethally removed in the interest of public safety,” officials said.
Idaho Fish and Game said such attacks are “uncommon,” but the state is home to grizzlies and black bears and it’s important for residents to be aware when living or spending time in bear country.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
