A 19-year-old woman is recovering after she was attacked by a bear while napping in her Sierra Madre backyard earlier this week, officials said.
The encounter took place about 7 p.m. Monday in the 2000 block of North Santa Anita Avenue, at the northern edge of the city, about a mile from the Angeles National Forest, according to the Sierra Madre Police Department.
A woman had dozed off in her backyard when she awoke to a startling sight, officials said.
“Upon awakening, the female saw a bear standing next to her,” police said in a written statement. “The animal then bit the female’s leg.”
Police said the woman managed to fend off the bear by throwing her laptop computer at it, which caused it to run away.
Officials learned of the attack shortly after the victim arrived at a hospital for treatment described as not life-threatening, officials said.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified and will be looking into the incident, police said.