A black bear believed to have injured a Virginia woman was captured and will be euthanized, a Department of Wildlife Resources spokesperson told Scripps News Richmond. The euthanization is necessary so the bear can be tested for rabies.
The department shared information the woman provided to them while she recovered in the hospital.
The woman said she was walking her dog off-leash along Coper Lane in the Dundas community in Lunenburg County, about 80 miles southwest of Richmond, when the the dog ran off into the woods.
Scripps News Richmond
When the dog emerged from the woods, a black bear emerged with it, she told department officials.
The woman said she began to make noises as a way to warn the bear she was human.
The bear, in response, stood on its hind legs and eventually approached the woman and started to "nibble" her, officials said.
The woman fought back but eventually pretended to be dead when the bear began to chase her dog.
The woman called for help using her phone and was airlifted to the hospital where she was listed in stable condition.
The dog was later found at a neighbor's home and was unharmed.
The Department of Wildlife Resources set a trap to capture the bear.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Richmond.
