Man, dog hurt after run-in with bear in northern Minnesota
Bear eats from birdfeeder (FILE PHOTO) (Minnesota DNR / Supplied)
SOLWAY TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man and his dog were injured Monday during an early morning incident involving a bear outside their home near Duluth.
Bear in St. Louis County
What we know:
Andrew Tri with the Minnesota Bear Project says the incident happened around 4:30 a.m. in Solway Township, which is just west of Duluth and a few miles north of Cloquet and Esko.
Tri says the resident had just let his dogs out for the morning when the bear attacked one of the dogs and pinned it to the ground.
The man ran up to the bear and kicked it to free the dog and was bitten by the bear. The bear then ran away into the woods.
Big picture view:
Neither the man nor the dog suffered serious injuries during the altercation, officials said. Officials say the man declined medical treatment.
Local perspective:
Tri says the bear's behavior appears to have been defensive. He adds the bear may have been attracted to the property by bird feeders and may have been startled when the dogs were let outside.
What you can do:
The DNR recommends anyone who lives around bears to remove potential food sources, like bird feeders. Before letting your dogs out, it's also a good idea to flip on a light and make some noise.
The Source: This story uses information from DNR researcher and Minnesota Bear Project official Andrew Tri.