A brave 12-year-old boy from Washington State managed to fend off a large black bear by targeting its eyes during a scary encounter that left him wounded.
Robin Westgate was in his backyard fruit orchard on a Sunday evening collecting a bowl when he suddenly found himself face to face with an angry bear protecting her cub, as reported.
According to Robin, both he and the bear were startled, leading to the bear charging at him not once, but twice, resulting in some puncture wounds on his hip.
“It was a fight or die situation,” Robin recounted. “I really had no choice. [The bear] latched onto my wrist, and I shoved my hand into her eye.”
Living near the Canadian border, Robin was aware that black bears are common in his neighborhood and had been educated on how to respond in such a situation.
Things escalated when the mama bear charged toward Robin’s father, Noah.
Noah described the moment saying it felt oddly reassuring to see the bear approaching him, reflecting a protective instinct similar to the one the bear had for her cub.
He quickly shifted into “code red” mode, reacting to the threat by hitting the bear. “She bit down on my hand just as I threw the hardest punch I’ve ever done,” he recalled.
This action seemed to scare the bear off, according to Noah.
Despite the terrifying experience, Robin said it didn’t fundamentally change his feelings about bears in general. “The only change is I know I can trust myself,” he shared, showing a sense of maturity and composure after such an ordeal.
The family believes that things could have turned out worse had their daughter, Riverley, not heard Robin’s screams for help.
“I’m just thankful I was outside to hear him, and that his injuries weren’t more severe,” Riverley expressed.
Wildlife officials confirmed that the bear has returned to the area, having snapped its picture, but it remains untrapped for now. The Westgate family now plans to keep bear spray handy while in their backyard.
Although bear attacks in Washington state are infrequent, typically less than once a year, urban development has led to increased interactions between bears and people, especially as bears gather food for the coming winter.
Noah Westgate expressed pride in his son for standing his ground against such a formidable opponent.
