Black bear attack on 68-year-old woman in Heathrow, Florida

A bear attack in Florida on Wednesday night has left a 68-year-old woman injured. According to the , the incident happened in the town of Heathrow in Central Florida. The woman who has been attacked has been identified as Jeanne Barber.

The bear attack happened as she was walking her dog near her home. According to reports, the dog saw the bear first near a construction dumper nearby and panicked. The terrified dog then yanked at the leash the woman was holding, causing her to fall to the ground. The bear quickly reached Jeanne and attacked her. The bear had clamped its jaws around Barber's arm. Luckily for Barber, she was able to break free and raise an alarm. The bear, sensing trouble, also fled.

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Help arrived soon and Jeanne was taken to the Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, where she is reportedly out of danger. Her injuries were not of life-threatening nature, officials from the hospital as well as the Seminole County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

Barber's attack was the third reported from Seminole County in the past year, according to ABC News.

The bear attack occurred just days after several bears were seen by people in the area. While some bears were bemused at the human presence, there were some others who were clearly annoyed and fearful.

The bear attack has also left other people in the region concerned. According to Mark Schumacher, who has a home under construction just a few hundred meters from where the bear attack took place, it's a constant threat.

"What's scary is the bears are around at all times, not just dawn and dusk".

He has three kids under the age of ten and is now concerned about their safety while playing outdoors.

"I think now, once word gets around, people will be very nervous about going out for a jog."

Meanwhile, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirms that they had earlier issued warning for residents in the area about heightened bear activity. The bears are likely to forage for food in preparation for the winter during these times of the year.

Biologists and officials from the Wildlife commission added that they have no details on the bear that attacked the woman. They have, however, set up a trap in an attempt to catch and relocate the bear.

The area where this latest bear attack happened had witnessed several other attacks in the past, as well. In fact, records from the Orlando Sentinel database show that nearly 17 nuisance reports were filed within two blocks from the place where Barber was attacked.