A recent bear encounter left a Highlands resident shaken and a pet seriously injured, according to Highlands Police Department reports.
On Friday morning, HPD officer Leah McCall responded to the incident on Big Bear Pen Road near the water tower following a call from the resident.
“A woman walking her dog saw what they thought was a small black dog, but the woman then realized she and her dog were approaching a bear cub,” McCall said in a written report. “They turned around, but the mother of the cub was already charging.“
McCall added that the mother bear attacked the dog, which quickly submitted. The bear dropped the dog following shouting from the dog owner, but charged a second time when the dog began growling. Fortunately, the bear stopped short and turned away before reaching the dog a second time.
According to the HPD report, the dog was taken to a veterinarian and treated for multiple puncture wounds. The dog owner did not want any action taken against the bear, but asked that the police department advise the public regarding the incident to keep a similar situation from happening to any other pet owners.
“This most recent bear encounter underscores Highlands need to be a BearWise community,” Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor said. “It’s important for the safety of our people, our pets, and also the bears themselves to take necessary precautions to keep human-bear interactions from happening.”
For more information on how to live BearWise, visit bearwise.org.