PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • June 30, 2023
A 64-year-old Porter woman was taken to the hospital Friday after she punched a black bear in the nose and the bear bit back. Lynn Kelly was trying to save her dog from the chasing bear when the confrontation occurred. “Kelly confronted the bear head-on, and when the bear stood up, she stood up as tall as she could, then punched the bear in the nose, whereupon the bear bit her in the right hand, puncturing her wrist.” A 2018 count estimated there were at least 35,000 black bears in Maine. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife advises “if you do see a bear, keep your distance, and do not corner or agitate the bear.”