SEE UPDATE: Bear Killed After Attacking Child In Yard Tests Negative For Rabies
ARMONK, NY — A child was injured after being attacked by a bear at a family home Tuesday morning.
At 11:16 a.m. on Tuesday, the North Castle Police Department received an emergency 911 call from a homeowner on Hickory Kingdom Road who reported that a bear had just attacked their child on the property, according to officials.
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First responders were dispatched to the home on a report of a “pediatric bear attack with lacerations.” Crews were told “bear reportedly still in the area, use caution … scene not secure.”
The Westchester County Department of Emergency Services dispatched EMS from the Banksville Fire Department and the Armonk Fire Department, as well as a Westchester County EMS Paramedic. North Castle Police Department officers and Animal Control also responded.
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The 7-year-old boy was treated by EMS and taken to Westchester Medical Center.
According to a report from ABC News New York, the bear that attacked the child was a male cub. The station said that the boy who was attacked was playing in the backyard with a sibling at the time.
Police officers on the scene reported that the bear remained in the rear yard, where the attack happened. The bear continued to present a danger to first responders and neighbors.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) was notified and the bear was euthanized by officers on the scene.
“Our concern was he did not retreat so at one point he did advance and when you have that many human beings,” North Castle Police Department Chief Peter Simonsen told ABC News. “I would think that an animal of that kind would normally retreat and it did not.”
The NYSDEC responded to the scene and took possession of the bear. The animal’s body was transported to the Westchester County Department of Health for testing.
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A preliminary evaluation of the child’s condition indicated that the injuries were not life-threatening, according to officials.
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