Photo: Gary Skipper
A 53-year-old man was hiking in the Angeles National Forest northeast of Pasadena near Sierra Madre when he was attacked by a black bear. According to the Los Angeles Times, the man described the peculiar incident to authorities as a sort of ambush.
He came upon a bear in the Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park that he said stood up on its hind legs and was bigger than he was. Then, out of nowhere, a second bear attacked him from his periphery. He was taken to the hospital with bites, scratches and puncture wounds. He remained hospitalized but his injuries were not life-threatening.
It’s been a strange summer for bear encounters in Southern California. A bear and her cubs were seen bathing in a pool at the start of September. And in June a 120-pound bear was euthanized after it attacked a man, also in the Angeles National Forest. According to authorities this bear will be euthanized if it is found. Which seems unlikely now. Drought has reportedly changed the habits of bears in recent years—there are an estimated 25-30,000 black bears living in California.
