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Last updated on Monday, December 17, 2018
(MUNCY CREEK TOWNSHIP, Pa.) - Pennsylvania Game Commission officials believe they know what may have led to a bear attack earlier this week that left a woman in critical condition.
The commission's investigation has revealed the bear that attacked Melinda Lebarron earlier this week may have had cubs with it, according to WNEP.
They believe Lebarron was attacked when she went to retrieve her Chihuahua-mix which had run out towards the bear.
If the bear involved in the attack is captured, it will undergo a full evaluation at Penn State University's animal diagnostics laboratory, Ternent said.
The attack began when LeBarron went outside with her dog around 6 p.m. When the dog barked, LeBarron looked around to see what had startled the canine.
"The next thing she knew, she was on the ground getting slammed around," said her son Trent LeBarron.
The black bear dragged Melinda about 80 yards through her yard, across a road, and into a thicket, while the dog tried to intervene, biting the black bear several times. Some of her clothes were ripped off in the process.
The attack left a trail of blood that relatives later followed.
"I'll just put it this way - she's very, very lucky to be alive," her son said. "She was punching the bear and everything. Her right hand's all swollen up from punching the bear."
Eventually, Melinda LeBarron went limp, and the bear took an interest in the dog, giving her a chance to climb into a small bush. She then threw a stick to distract the bear and finally made her way home to call a relative for help.
Bear the dog somehow got back into the home and was found whimpering beneath a bed.
Her three-year-old dog - fittingly named Bear - was also bitten several times when he tried to intervene and has a broken sternum and separated ribs.
Game wardens went out with a team of tracking dogs and looked for the bear that attacked Lebarron, dragging her over 80 yards outside her home in Muncy Creek Township.
Since the attack, the Game Commission has set two live traps near Lebarron's home.
Officers went door to door on Friday to let neighbors know about the attack. They also gave neighbors tips on how to deter bears from coming on their property.
According to the game commission, while black bear attacks are rare, most injuries from bears happen because people are feeding them or accidentally scare a bear in close quarters.
Game commission officials said they have no reason to believe the bear will attack again. If trapped they plan to euthanize the animal. The bear will undergo a full evaluation at Penn State University's animal diagnostics laboratory.
Melinda Lebarron, 51, is listed in critical condition after suffering broken bones, cuts and bruises and multiple bites.
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