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City Councilman Attacked by Black Bear in Washington

September 21, 2010.

The wife of a man seriously injured Friday evening in a black bear attack near Lake Wenatchee probably saved her husband from worse injury by shouting and keeping the animal at bay, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

John Chelminiak, a city councilman from Bellevue, WA, was taking his dogs for a walk at his vacation home near Lake Wenatchee in Washington when he was suddenly caught in a life and death struggle with a bear.

"Black bear attacks on humans are rare, and this bear appears to have been exceptionally aggressive" said Donny Martorello, WDFW’s carnivore specialist.

"The victim’s wife appears to have done everything right-she shouted, stood her ground and attempted to drive off the bear. Those actions likely prevented even worse injury." 

The victim was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle following the attack.

A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologist and three enforcement officers killed a bear-a 148-pound, mature, adult female without cubs-a few hours later about 100 yards from the attack site. One of WDFW’s specially trained Karelian bear dogs was used to locate the bear. WDFW policy is to kill dangerous wildlife that attacks a human.  

The Early Show on CBS shared this interview with the victim's wife (you have to sit through a 30-second commercial to get to the interview):

This year, Washington black bears may be more visible or show up in unusual settings because late-summer wild berries-part of bears’ natural diet-are in short supply, Martorello said. The bear involved in Friday’s attack was thin for this time of year, but did not appear to be starving, he said. 

Typically, black bears avoid people but can pose a safety risk if they become habituated to human food sources.  Bears become overly familiar with humans if they are fed or find unsecured garbage, bird seed, pet food, windfall fruit or compost piles. 

Black bear attacks on humans are rare. There have been four other bear attacks on humans and one reported fatality in Washington, according to historical records. 

WDFW conducted a complete necropsy on the bear and sent tissue samples to a wildlife laboratory for disease testing. Results of disease tests are expected later this week. DNA samples were collected from the bear to confirm it was the animal involved in the attack. 

"Based on the proximity to the attack site and the bear’s aggressive behavior, we’re confident the animal that was euthanized is the one involved in the attack," said Mike Cenci, WDFW’s deputy chief of enforcement.

Washington’s black bear population is estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 animals, Martorello said. Black bear are classified as a game species and may be harvested during prescribed hunting seasons by licensed hunters who have purchased bear tags. 

WDFW receives an average of about 417 black bear complaints annually, ranging from glimpses of bears to encounters.

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