Man attacked by bear while biking in Kitsap County park (mamabear&cubs)

[uppityperson]

FYI

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003865731_webbearattack02.html
A mountain biker was attacked by a black bear while riding through a Kitsap County park with his two dogs today. The 51-year-old man came upon the bear at about noon during a ride through the trails at Banner Forest Heritage Park in Olalla, said Ron Powers, battalion chief for South Kitsap Fire and Rescue.

The bear immediately charged at the man, who picked up his bike and attempted to protect himself with it. Reaching through the bike, the bear tore at the man's arm, face, back, neck and ear, said Powers. "And then, for some reason, the bear stops," said Powers. The man was able to get on his bike and ride out of the forest, where he found two people who called 911.

Paramedics treated the man and transported him to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. His condition was not released, but Powers said he was in "pretty bad shape." One of the dogs, skittish after the attack, bit a bystander, said Powers. The other dog was not found.

The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office blocked off the two entrances to the park and attempted to evacuate it. A state Department of Fish and Wildlife officer was gathering a team of dogs, with the intent of finding the bear and euthanizing it. Another mountain biker who was leaving the park had reported seeing a black bear with two cubs earlier in the day. "It's quite likely it's the same bear," said Powers. "The reason it was so aggressive was because of the two cubs."

[sneakythomas]

1. Well, this is bear country

Anybody that goes into the woods around here needs to be thinking about the fact that wild animals do in fact, live here. Bear and cougar are not uncommon, I'm not saying this person did something wrong, just that this can happen.

And now they're going to kill the bear for being a bear.

[pscot]

2. If you go into the woods today, you better not go alone

Lucky bastard got off easy, and has a great story to tell. Be a damned shame if they kill the bear for being a good mom.

[eridani]

3. I always think about Erma Bombeck when I read about bear attacks

"Forget Disney. Not all bears have their own television show. Some are unemployed wild animals."

[flamingyouth]

4. I'm amazed by all of the people in that area acting blase about it.

On the news last night they showed people still biking through there, even though the trails are closed while Fish & Wildlife is looking for the bear. Uh, a bear just mauled a guy and easily could have killed him.

[eridani]

5. Like I said above--

--too damned much Disney and Hanna-Barbera.

[maxsolomon]

6. why you gotta kill the bear?

just get it out of there.

[uppityperson]

7. Often relocating bears doesn't work. NOT a mamabear either, new info since OP

They use nasty drugs on bears, think of an upset bear on a bad trip, alert enough to know that humans are messing with him but too stoned, too f*ed up to move. Relocating them sometimes works but usually doesn't since the behavior is deep enough that they return to their same behavior after moving, on top of having a really bad Trip.

Edited to add that originally it looked like it was a mama bear with cubs, but the guy who was mauled said otherwise, now they're looking for a male bear, have several bear traps out.

[maxsolomon]

8. often isn't always.

hard to attack people on bikes from, say, the end of the closed Sauk river road.

[uppityperson]

9. Bears, esp single males like this one is supposed to be, travel great distances

That is the problem. Even in AK. Or Montana.