On January 19, a Pennsylvania man survived a rabid black bear attack while he was walking to the grocery store through a residential area that borders a wooded area. He survived thanks to a neighbor, who saw what was happening, grabbed a firearm, and shot the bear. The animal later tested positive for rabies. The Pennsylvania Game Commission- Northeast Region reported the unfortunate incident on Facebook, calling the bear’s behavior “abnormal.”
“An adult male bear aggressively approached a man then proceeded to bite and scratch him, exhibiting abnormal behaviors for a black bear,” wrote the Pennsylvania Game Commission in its post. “The bear was dispatched by a nearby homeowner, in defense of the man being attacked, and the bear was removed by Pennsylvania Game Commission staff to be tested.”
Several days later, test results confirmed the bear was acting abnormally because it had rabies. In an interview with local news (before knowing the bear had rabies), the victim, Andrew Nierer, said he suspected the bear was acting aggressively because it was starving.
Pennsylvania Game Commission says Nierer “is expected to have a full recovery and has received appropriate medical treatment.”
Watch the footage showing a rabid black bear attack in Pennsylvania here:
And here is the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s latest update, saying the deceased bear tested positive for rabies: