12-Year-Old Boy Fends Off Aggressive Black Bear in Washington Garden
A 12-year-old boy in Bellingham, Washington, fought off a black bear that entered his yard, injuring the animal by thrusting his thumb into its eye.
While eating popcorn in his family's garden near the Canadian border, 12-year-old Robin Westgate came face-to-face with an aggressive black bear that had wandered onto the property in Bellingham, Washington. The bear lunged at him twice, leaving claw marks on his hip and a bite on his wrist. Reacting instinctively, Robin drove his hand and thumb into the bear’s eye and struck it repeatedly, shouting for assistance.
His younger sister Riverley heard his calls and warned their parents. Their father, Noah Westgate, arrived and, after the bear continued to act hostile, delivered what he described as the strongest punch of his life, causing the bear to flee. State wildlife agents later reported the bear was still in the area and have deployed traps to capture it. The incident highlights growing human-wildlife encounters as urban development expands into bear habitats.
