A man from Alaska is lucky to be alive after a black bear followed him into a home through an open door Friday night.
Brandon McVey was visiting a friend’s house late Friday night when an uninvited visitor came through the door with him. “Norm, he’s got like ten kids, and they’re all in the living room,” McVey said, describing the scene. “(The bear) had walked past us, and he was walking toward the kids.”
The children scattered under furniture as the bear inched closer. The youngest child, a two-year-old boy, reached out to pet the wild animal before his mother grabbed him and hid in the bedroom.
Both McVey and Norm Lott tried yelling at the bear to scare it out of the house. The bear then reared up and surged at the men.
McVey recalls the event, saying, “He just jumped up and basically hit me, and then I kind of threw an elbow the same time he was hitting me, and he sat me right down.”
The black bear ran into another room where it was able to be trapped by a closed door. It was able to escape the house by tearing up a wall and a window from its frame.
McVey’s injuries were three puncture wounds in his chest and some deep scratches across his chest and shoulder region.
Why is there an Increase of Bears?
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist, Roy Churchwell said that while the event is highly unusual, bear sightings have been more consistent this year. This could have something to do with natural food being limited, such as fish and low berry production. It also could be because more people are staying indoors due to the coronavirus, and tourism is down.
The bear was an adult male and is still missing. However, a younger bear that was responsible for getting into the neighborhood trash can was trapped and euthanized.
[H/T Anchorage Daily News]
