Washington Woman Scares Off Female Grizzly Bear By Punching It In The Nose

A woman has punched an adult bear in the nose, scaring off the animal after it tried to attack her outside her house in Washington state.

The incident took place in Leavenworth, a Bavarian-styled village located in the Cascade Mountains, on Oct. 22, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said, according to the New York Post.

The woman let her dog outside at 7 a.m. when the bear attacked her from behind, due to which she was knocked down to the ground. She sustained non-life-threatening injuries but needed a trip to the hospital.

The woman was saved by her fighting instincts, a biologist said.

"She didn't see it coming so she could not make herself big, clap her hands, you know, yell at the bear, wave her arms," wildlife biologist Rich Beausoleil told Seattle's KING-TV, adding that this is the usual advice they give out to people.

However, in this woman's case, her strategy to attack was what played a key role in saving her life.

"If the bear knocks you down, then yes, your solution is to fight," Beausoleil added. "It was just instinct for her. She just turned around and popped it right in the nose."

The hit on the nose was enough to leave the bear "shook." The animal scooted away from the scene and was tracked down by wildlife officials in the vicinity later that afternoon. It was killed afterward.

Officials said that the bear was killed for being overweight from dumpster diving. Fish and Wildlife Captain Mike Jewell noted in a statement that they didn't see another choice.

"Public safety is our priority," he said, as per the outlet. "Our officers and staff were quick to mobilize to locate the animal and secure the scene. We are extremely thankful that the victim is receiving medical care from this unfortunate encounter."

Two cubs aged nine months, believed to have belonged to the bear, were found and captured in the area nearby and were sent to the PAWS wildlife rehabilitation facility.

Grizzly black bear mothers aren't known to attack to protect their young.

"Black bear mothers seldom attack people in defense of cubs," the U.S. Forest Service said in a primer on black bears, as reported by NBC News. "Black bear mothers typically bluff or retreat."

In a similar incident, a 10-year-old boy was attacked by a 250-pound male black bear while playing in the backyard of his grandparents' Connecticut home. The bear was immediately shot and killed.