Man fights off bear with hatchet after attack in California mountains

A couple sustained significant injuries in a black bear attack in California’s Sierra Nevada, authorities said Tuesday.

The 17-month-old bear, which also injured the couple’s dogs, was euthanized after the man fought it off with the blunt end of a hatchet, the Mammoth Lakes Police Department said in a news release.

The attack occurred around 6 a.m. in Mammoth Lakes, near Yosemite National Park, after the woman tried to stop the bear from fighting with one of her dogs outside her home, the police department said.

A second dog ran outside, according to the release, and the bear bit and clawed the woman.

When the man tried to intervene, the bear “aggressively confronted” him, as well, though he was able to flee after the woman began hitting it with a water bottle, the department said.

The man went inside and grabbed the hatchet, ending the confrontation, according to the release.

The couple drove to a local hospital, the police department said. Their conditions were not immediately clear. Their dogs sustained minor injuries, according to the release.

Law enforcement determined that the bear was a threat to public safety and euthanized the animal, the police department said.

Police Chief Dan Casbian said in the release that bear attacks are extremely rare in the area. Bears typically avoid humans and will flee when they are confronted, he said.