A Butler County woman was hospitalized Tuesday following a bear attack outside her Butler Township home.
Post-Gazette news partner KDKA-TV reported she was conscious and alert when emergency services took her to Butler Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Lee Ann Galante, 55, and her dog were doing well, the family said, and she was expected to leave the hospital in good condition.
The confrontation occurred on the 100 block of Bellefield Drive shortly before 8:30 p.m. when she left her home to check on her barking dog.
There, police said, Ms. Galante attempted to separate her dog and a female black bear with three cubs. A brief altercation occurred and she suffered injuries to her head and both arms. She freed herself and returned to the house. The dog was unharmed, KDKA reported.
Responding police found the adult and cubs in a tree. When the mother became aggressive, she was euthanized by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The cubs were tranquilized and removed, and they were relocated to an undisclosed location.
Township police and the Game Commission were investigating.
"This is a first for me and first for the area," said Sgt. Thomas Vensel of the Butler Township police. "Talked to some people [who said] they'd been seeing [bears] in the area. Obviously, there was a bird feeder up here that was knocked down. We had warm weather lately, so I'm assuming these animals are out and about."
The Game Commission said if it determines the cubs did not participate in the attack, they may be ear tagged for future identification and relocated to a Pennsylvania game lands location or Allegheny National Forest.
But, the agency said, it’s more likely they could be tested for rabies and euthanized in the interest of public safety. Conclusive rabies examinations require that the animal be euthanized.
The Game Commission estimates the state's black bear population at about 18,000. Attacks on humans are rare, and for as long as records have been kept, there has never been a fatal bear attack documented in Pennsylvania.
The Game Commission advises homeowners to move bird seeds, pet food and trash indoors at night, particularly now through spring when bears are leaving their winter dens and looking for food. Protect pets by keeping them inside and never get between a sow and her cubs.
John Hayes: jhayes@post-gazette.com.
First Published: March 6, 2024, 12:31 p.m.
Updated: March 7, 2024, 4:39 p.m.
