Oregon Bear Attack: 72-Year-Old Man, His Dog Mauled While Hiking, Mammal Shot Dead

An elderly man and his pet dog were injured in a bear attack in Oregon on Sunday (May 10).

The unidentified 72-year-old man and the canine were hiking on a private property near their home when they saw a black bear standing 20 feet away from them. The dog immediately started barking and ran toward the mammal. The canine was knocked down by the bear in front of its owner. The mammal then went on top of the canine. That’s then the owner tried to scare away the bear by yelling at him and waving his hands.

The bear then charged toward the elderly man and knocked him to the ground. The man, however, fought back following which the male bear with a cream-colored muzzle left.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said, "The man and dog, both injured, hiked approximately one mile back to his residence before being transported to receive medical care. The man suffered lacerations and punctures on his forearm as well as lacerations to his torso and head."

The elderly man was discharged from the hospital a few hours later and the dog was treated by a vet. Both of them were expected to make a full recovery.

Speaking about the incident, Brian Wolfer, ODFW South Willamette watershed manager, said, “This was a very serious incident and the victim took the right steps by first trying to scare the bear off and then fighting back when he was attacked. We extend our well wishes to him and his family and hope for his speedy recovery.”

Meanwhile, the bear was killed a few hours after the incident.

"Fresh bear sign was located and Wildlife Services hounds gave a short chase before treeing a large, mature male bear with a light-colored muzzle. The bear was shot and killed at approximately 5:30 p.m.,” ODFW said.

The officials were, however, not sure if they got the right bear.

“There is a very good chance that the bear that was killed is the one that injured the man, but this area is also good bear habitat and home to many bears. While we are not currently looking for another bear, the area will remain closed and trail cameras will be set up to see if there are other bears matching the description in the area,” Wolfer said.