Woman Plays Dead, Escapes Bear Attack With Minor Injuries

OJAI (CBS/AP) — A woman played dead and escaped with minor injuries when a bear attacked her as she walked her three dogs in Ventura County.

State Fish and Game spokesman Andrew Hughan says the confrontation on a road north of Ojai Friday left the 50-year-old woman with scratches and a minor wrist injury.

The dogs ran off and the bear swiped at the woman, causing her to fall down an embankment. She sat still until the bear lost interest. Hughan says after sniffing and circling her, the bear ran away.

Hughan said the California black bear was female, about 250 pounds, and accompanied by a cub.

CBS2 and KCAL9 reporter Serene Branson spoke to Lt. Cindy Wood of California Fish and Game. Says Wood, "Generally an attack like this is very rare."

The Gridley Hiking Trail remains closed as Fish and Game tries to locate the bear.

The unidentified woman received a tetanus shot, according to Branson, and it recovering at home.

There have been 15 confirmed bear attacks in California since 1980. The most recent was in the fall of 2010 at the Fallen Leaf Lake Campground near Lake Tahoe.

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