Bear attack injures woman; she called 911 from the ground

FREDERICK, Md. – Wildlife officials have killed a bear that injured a woman in a rare attack in western Maryland.

Maryland Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said by telephone Thursday that the attack, the only one she can remember in Maryland for decades, happened Wednesday night when 63-year-old Karen Osborne went outside to investigate why a dog was barking nearby.

She dropped into a fetal position and called 911. The bear eventually left.

Osborne was taken to a hospital with a broken arm, cuts and puncture wounds, but Thomson says her injuries aren't considered life-threatening.

Thomson says wildlife officials tracked the bear and killed it. She says officials believe Osborne got between the sow and her cubs. She says the cubs, who are old enough to live on their own, were released.