Bear attacks woman in Finland

© Mikko Pehkonen

The killed 200 kg male bear at Juua, near Kolinportti on Friday morning.

The woman was walking in the woods on Thursday morning, when she stumbled across the bear's den. The woken beast attacked the woman, lashing out at her with his paw and biting her in the elbow and buttock. The bear then disappeared into the woods.

The woman called emergency services herself, and was picked up in the forest about an hour later. According to the police, the woman was not injured seriously. She walked to the ambulance herself.

Appealing to police law, the authorities ordered the bear to be put down.

Tracked down and shot

The bear was finally tracked down some 10 kilometres from the attack location, in Ahmovaara near Kolinportti on Friday morning.

According to authorities leading the hunt, the bear was followed for a couple of kilometres before a dog was unleashed. The dog quickly found the bear, who tried to escape across Kajaanintie, a major road in the region, but was shot dead on the other side. The male bear weighed over 200 kilograms.

Bear attacks on humans are extremely rare in Finland. The animals usually run away if possible. A bear may attack if frightened by a surprise visit to its den. Another dangerous situation is where a human comes between a bear mother and its cubs.