Pa. woman survives bear attack

It's not something you hear about every day -- especially in Pennsylvania -- but a 44-year-old woman survived a confrontation with a black bear near her home in Lycoming County. People forget that Pennsylvania is more than Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. A big chunk of the state is rural.

From The Associated Press:

BARBOURS, Pa. — A Lycoming County woman is back home after surviving a black bear attack near her house.

State Game Commission officials say the 44-year-old woman and her dog had stepped outside her rural home in Barbours to take down her bird feeders on Monday night when the dog spotted and went after the bear.

The woman then went after the dog. The bear swatted the dog before running after the woman. Game commission officials say she suffered bites on her leg, and also injured her hand.

A Game Commission official says the woman has asked not to be identified. She was treated and released at a hospital. The dog had to be euthanized.

The commission says that it's common to spot bears in rural Barbours, though attacks on humans are rare.