Police: Child attacked by bear in Bedford, N.Y.; Bear killed
BEDFORD, N.Y. - A 7-year-old boy is recovering after being attacked by a bear in Westchester County on Tuesday.
It happened around 11:15 a.m. in Bedford in the town of North Castle.
A neighbor who heard children screaming took a picture of the male black bear lurking near the playset where it attacked the boy.
"And I also give the parents a huge amount of credit for their swift action because the parents were right there and assisted the child fearlessly," North Castle Police Chief Peter Simonsen said.
The child's parents were inside their Hickory Kingdom Road home and came running to help.
"So the bear is lurking in the background as the parents render aid to the child?" CBS New York's Tony Aiello asked Simonsen.
"That's correct," Simonsen said.
"How do you characterize that?" Aiello asked.
"That's extremely brave. That's what parents do, though. That's what good parents do," Simonsen said.
Simonsen says the child suffered bloody injuries, but they are not life-threatening. The 7-year-old was taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla for treatment.
A North Castle officer used a long gun to shoot and kill the bear to eliminate the threat. First responders retrieved the bear's body from the woods behind the home.
"Our concern was he did not retreat. So at one point, he did advance. and when you have that many human beings, I would think an animal of that kind would normally retreat and it did not," Simonsen said.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation will test for rabies.
Chopper 2 flew over the scene as New York State DEC personnel and North Castle police were there.
Many locals take precautions against bears, such as securing garbage cans.
The town has warned residents about bear activity many times.
Soon-to-be mom of three Jessica Donaldson says hearing about an attack on a child is chilling.
"It's scary to think you could have children out in your yard and something like this could happen. Very hopeful that the child is OK and everything is under control," she said.
"We live in the woods here, and that is a scary thing. I've not heard of that happening around here. It's alarming," North Castle resident Amy Wilbur said.
Police urge residents to remove bear attractants -- such as pet food and bird seed -- from their backyards and to keep a close eye on children when they're playing outside.
