Woman survives bear attack outside Pittsburgh-area home

BUTLER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Pittsburgh woman is recovering after she was attacked Tuesday night by a mama bear that was behind her home with her three cubs, authorities said.

Lee Ann Galante, 55, of Butler Township, encountered the family of bears while taking her dog out, WPXI in Pittsburgh reported. Galante told the news station she let her 8-pound Pomeranian, Smoky, out around 8:30 p.m. and heard a commotion.

When she went back outside, she saw the adult bear.

“She came up behind me, and she pushed me down and my face went smack right into our cement pad we have on the step,” Galante said. “She had me down and she bit my arm, and she was on top of me. I thought I was gonna die.”

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Galante said she screamed at Smoky (the dog) to go back inside, at which point the bear seemed to get distracted.

“I’m screaming ‘Someone please help me.’ I’m screaming at the top of my lungs,” Galante said. “It was terrifying. I really thought that was gonna be it.”

Galante said the bear was ready to charge again when both she and Smoky managed to get back inside, where she called 911.

Michael Vero, a neighbor, said it was “nerve-wracking” to hear Galante screaming, according to The Associated Press.

The AP reported that Galante suffered injuries to her arm, face neck and head. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Galante’s doctor told WPXI the woman is extremely lucky the injuries weren’t more serious.

“She has a fair amount of puncture wounds on the back of her neck, on her arm itself and pretty significant tears or lacerations across her scalp,” Allegheny General Hospital trauma surgeon Dr. Jennifer Chen said. “She also has several broken bones on her nose or face.”

Galante is expected to make a full recovery. Smoky was unharmed in the attack.

“I didn’t want her to eat my baby,” Galante told the news station.

Pennsylvania Game Commission officials said the bear and her cubs were found nearby following the attack, the AP reported. The cubs were tranquilized and contained but the mother bear had to be killed after she continued to show aggression.

The cubs will be tested for rabies, and if they are healthy they will be released elsewhere.

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