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Neighbors help Volusia Co. woman attacked by bear

Posted at 9:37 AM, Jan 17, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-17 09:39:49-05

A woman out walking her dog in a Volusia County neighborhood Thursday evening was attacked by a bear.

9-1-1 calls summoned emergency vehicles after neighbors helped save a woman from a mother bear protecting her three cubs.

"I took off running that way and then she was running behind me," recalled the woman to a WESH-TV reporter, "and she grabbed me by my shoulders and, I mean, I fell to the ground."

The woman suffered scratches on her face, a concussion, and bites and scratches on her lower back that required a trip to the hospital and stitches.

The bear was ultimately killed by Fish & Wildlife officials who say the woman's injuries were proof enough the animal was a danger to the neighborhood.