Calif. woman attacked by bear, drives self to help

By ROBERT JABLON

Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A woman mauled by a bear in a rural area of Southern California was recovering Wednesday as game wardens sought to trap and kill the animal.

Allena Hansen, 56, was resting comfortably after undergoing extensive surgery to repair injuries suffered in Tuesday's attack, said Roxanne Moster, a spokeswoman for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Despite suffering severe lacerations to her face and head, the woman managed not only to escape but to drive herself to a nearby fire station, Kern County fire spokesman Sean Collins said.

"For her to be attacked in that manner and drive to a fire station, she must have been running on pure adrenaline," Collins said.

Hansen's neighbor August Dunning said in a telephone interview that his friend underwent 10 hours of surgery Tuesday and was "lucid, active and probably pretty sore."

Dunning said he called the hospital and spoke to Hansen's son, but could hear Hansen talking in the background.

The woman was taking her dogs on a morning walk when the bear attacked near the tiny community of Caliente, east of Bakersfield and about five miles away from an area that burned in a recent wildfire, Collins said.

Wildlife trackers using dogs hunted the bear on Wednesday. One tracking hound was slightly injured after midnight in what might have been an attack by the animal, Kevin Brennan, a wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game, said at a news conference in Ontario.

The bear was believed to be still in the area because they are "creatures of habit," Brennan said.

"Right now, there's a trap set. And we're just waiting," Brennan said. "There's a good chance he'll come back."

Clothing from the woman was taken for forensic testing to determine if there is fur or other DNA samples from the bear. Brennan said any bear caught in the trap will be killed and its DNA tested to determine if it was the attacker.

Hansen, who has a ranch in the area, was walking in heavy underbrush on her property when she was attacked, Dunning said. Her English mastiff may have tried to defend her, Dunning speculated, because it suffered some scratches. An Irish wolfhound was unhurt.

"She had to rely on her dogs and her wits," Dunning said. "She's one tough woman."

Dunning said the bear may have attacked to defend new territory it was forced into by the recent wildfire.

"We just had 30,000 acres burn out here and those animals are looking for habitat," he said.

Harry Morse, spokesman for the state Department of Fish and Game, said the thousands of wildfires burning across the state have displaced wildlife, but he was not sure whether that contributed to the attack. Dogs sometimes provoke bear attacks by inadvertently getting between a mother bear and her cubs, Morse said.

State game wardens had not had a chance to interview Hansen about the attack, said Brennan.

He said there are about 30,000 California black bears and they are not uncommon in the region of the attack, especially at this time of year when young males are moving about.

The attack was the 13th reported in California since 1980. Brennan advised people never to approach a bear but not to give up if attacked. People have been known to drive off bears, he said.

"If attacked, fight back," he said.