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Gilbert woman attacked by bear while walking dog in Pinetop by John Genovese and Connor Radnovich - Jun. 29, 2011 01:28 PM The Arizona Republic-12 News A Gilbert woman was attacked by a black bear Tuesday evening while walking her dog in Pinetop, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reported. The woman, 61-year-old Lana Hollingsworth, was airlifted to was airlifted to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center and underwent surgery. She is in stable but serious condition, officials said. The incident happened about a mile east of Arizona 260, in the Sports Village area of the Pinetop Country Club. Pinetop is about 200 miles northeast of Phoenix. According to police, the bear approached and attacked Hollingsworth three separate times before running away. A motorist witnessed the first attack and used a horn to scare the bear up into a tree, officials said. The bear returned and attacked Hollingsworth again before witnesses were able chase the animal away with a vehicle. The bear again returned for a third time, authorities said, to attack the victim before running away. Investigators said the black bear had been scavenging for food in a dumpster about 60 yards from where the attack occurred. Federal wildlife officials responded to the scene and used tracking dogs to search for the animal. A bear was found several hundred yards from the site of the attack and immediately killed. Officials said the bear weighed between 200 and 300 pounds. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is conducting a forensic investigation to confirm that the slain bear was responsible for the attack. Officials do not believe the bear has any diseases, but tests will be conducted for confirmation. "This was an especially aggressive, predatory attack that reminds us that wildlife can be unpredictable," said Larry Voyles, director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "Bears are particularly active at this time of year, and we don't believe this attack is related to wildfires in northeastern Arizona," Voyles said. "Bears are easily drawn to human food sources, like dumpsters, trash cans and campsites especially during times of drought." Game and Fish officials said this was the seventh bear attack in Arizona since the department began keeping track in 1990. Before the incident this week, there hadn't been a bear attack reported in Arizona since 2006. |