12-year-old boy fights off angry mama bear in his backyard: ‘It was fight or die’

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (KING) – A 12-year-old Washington state boy fought off an angry mama bear that attacked him in his backyard by gouging the bear’s eye, punching and screaming.

Robin Westgate, 12, had just finished family dinner last Sunday and was grabbing a popcorn bowl from the backyard fruit orchard when he came face to face with an angry mama bear.

“Me and the bear startled each other,” Robin said. “It was fight or die. I didn’t really have an option.”

The bear charged Robin twice, clawing his side and leaving puncture wounds on his hip.

“Bit onto my wrist, and I slammed my hand and thumb into her eye,” he said.

Since bears are common in his Bellingham neighborhood, Robin had been taught what to do if he ever encountered one. He fought back, gouging the bear’s eye with his thumb and punching and screaming until his father, Noah Westgate, arrived.

The bear turned and charged a third time, this time at Noah.

“Strange as it sounds, it was a feeling of relief to have her coming at me,” Noah said.

The father says he went into what he called “code red” mode, protecting his son the way the bear was protecting her cub.

“She crunches into my hand right at the moment that I land the hardest punch of my life,” he said.

With that, the bear ran away.

Robin says it was a terrifying experience. His family adds that things could have been much worse had his little sister, Riverley Westgate, not heard his screams and run for help.

“I’m just glad that I was outside and heard him and that the injuries weren’t worse,” Riverley said.

The bear has since returned to the area. State wildlife workers snapped a photo of the animal and have set a trap, but they have not yet caught it.

For now, the Westgates say they will carry bear spray in their backyard, aware it belongs to the bear as much as to them.

“Just because I got attacked didn’t change anything about the overall danger from the bears. The only thing that changed is now I know I can trust myself,” Robin said.

“I’m a proud papa that my 12-year-old son stood his ground against a black bear,” Noah added.

Wildlife officials say attacks like this are incredibly rare. In Washington state, there is an average of less than one per year, but urban sprawl has prompted more bear encounters, especially this time of year as bears fatten up before winter hibernation.…Read more by KING via CNN Newsource