ALPINE, AZ — A 15-year-old boy is recovering after he was attacked by a bear in eastern Arizona Thursday.
Arizona Game and Fish Department officials say they were alerted about a black bear attack in Alpine, near the Arizona-New Mexico state line.
Officials say the boy was sitting inside a cabin when the bear entered through an open door and swiped at him from behind. The bear then left the cabin and approached other family members before reentering the cabin and swiping at his arm.
The boy suffered injuries to his face and arm and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
"We feel very blessed that it wasn't worse," said Carol Hawkins, Brigham's mom.
She said her son and some other family members were visiting her parents' property which has several cabins.
"[Brigham] was in one cabin by himself watching Pokémon videos," Hawkins. "The door was open, so I guess the bear came in and from what he told us it swiped him twice in the face and he started screaming."
"We feel very, very blessed that he was protected and that he was okay," she said.
When wildlife officers arrived they located and "dispatched" the bear. The photo above is a file photo of a black bear, not the bear involved in this incident.
AZGFD officers say the bear was a male black bear and estimated to be about 3 years old. The bear's carcass is being examined and tested for disease by wildlife health specialists.
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This incident is the 16th bear attack on people in Arizona since 1990, according to AZGFD.
Last year near Prescott, a man was killed during an "unprovoked" bear attack.
Wildlife officials provided the following tips to help prevent bear attacks while outdoors:
When camping
- Always be aware of your surroundings.
- Keep food and attractants secured and inaccessible to bears. Do not keep food in a tent.
- Don't burn left-over food or trash on the grill.
- Set up a campsite away from places where bears might forage for food, such as creeks, rivers and other bodies of water.
When hiking
- Don’t wear scented lotions, deodorant or perfumes.
- Make noise or hike in groups.
- Hiking with a pet? Keep it on a leash at all times.
In case of a bear encounter
- Do NOT run.
- Back away slowly while maintaining eye contact with the bear.
- Make yourself look bigger than you are by flaunting your arms or pulling your shirt/jacket up higher than your head.
- Throw items and yell at the bear.
- If attacked, fight back.
For more information from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, click here.
If you see bears displaying unacceptable behavior, hanging around in human-occupied areas, and/or showing no fear of humans, please report sightings to AZGFD at 623-236-7201. In an emergency, call 911.
