A Northern California man bit by a bear multiple times last week shot the animal after it engaged in a standoff with his dog, according to authorities.
The man got treatment for his injuries, but didn’t have to be hospitalized, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials were called to investigate and ultimately euthanized the bear.
It all started when a Calpine resident allowed his dog to go outside for a bathroom break on Friday and it ran away, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.
The man began to search for his pet, and that’s when a bear charged at him and bit him along his body, the news release said.
“Regrettably, the bear did not stop, and the Calpine resident sustained bites on his hand, wrist, and leg,” deputies wrote.
The victim escaped the attack and retrieved his shotgun. He saw the bear and his dog were engaged in a standoff and shot it, deputies said.
State wildlife employees found the wounded bear after the man reported the incident on Saturday, and the bear was euthanized. A necropsy and rabies test will be performed on the bear, deputies said.