New Hampshire woman seriously hurt during encounter with bear in her kitchen
A 71-year-old grandmother was seriously hurt early Tuesday morning in an encounter with a bear in her New Hampshire home.
According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, April Rogers, who uses a wheelchair, suffered serious head injuries and was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Family members told WMUR that Rogers needed surgery.
Officials said she came across the bear in her kitchen area early Tuesday morning. According to a neighbor, Rogers was known for leaving her door open, but it's unknown if the door was open in this instance.
At some point, the door closed, trapping the bear inside the house, officials said.
Fish and Game officials said they aren't considering the incident to be a bear attack, because the bear wasn't necessarily acting aggressively.
"The homeowner unknowingly walked in on the animal, and that bear did what any animal is going to do when it feels cornered: It is going to act defensively. It's going to panic in an effort to get out," Fish and Game Maj. Jim Juneau said. "And I suspect in this case, the woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Eventually, the bear made its way out of the house and into the woods, leaving the injured woman behind.
Fish and Game officials said they are worried the bear might be rabid, so they sent a K-9 team to the area to try to track the animal. The track was unsuccessful because heavy rain washed away the scent.