Karen Osborne Was Mauled by a Bear

FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. — A 63-year-old Maryland woman who was mauled by a black bear while walking her daughter’s dog in her driveway has more severe injuries than doctors initially thought. She has a broken arm and numerous cuts and stitches.

Karen Osborne unknowingly stepped in between the 200-pound mother bear and her cubs on Wednesday night. The attack lasted 35 minutes.Karen Osborne Was Mauled by a Bear

What Happened?

63-year-old Karen Osbourne unknowingly stepped into the path of a 200-pound black bear and her three cubs on Wednesday night when she went outside to investigate her daughter’s dog’s barking. The attack only stopped after she dropped to the ground in a fetal position and called 911.

On the 911 tape released Thursday, Osborne can be heard pleading for help. She said the bear was circling her, snorting and stomping on the ground behind her. At one point, she told the dispatcher she threw herself on her back, trying to break its claws off her.

The bear was later found and euthanized, according to Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials. Osborne suffered a broken arm, puncture wounds to her arms and head, as well as bites on the back of her torso and legs that required 78 stitches. She is expected to recover but will need extensive rehabilitation, her husband says. A GoFundMe page has been started to cover her medical expenses.

How She Was Killed

Karen Osborne, 63, stepped out into her daughter’s driveway Wednesday night near Gambrill State Park in Frederick County, Maryland, and ended up facing off with a full-grown black bear protecting its three cubs. The attack was the first in modern Maryland history.

The grandmother tried to fight the bear off but it was relentless. Eventually, she was forced to curl up into the fetal position. In between attacks, she gingerly felt around for her phone and called 911. Her call didn’t connect at first but she persevered and whispered her situation to the dispatcher.

After a 35-minute mauling, the bear left her with a broken arm, puncture wounds to both arms and bites to the head and torso that required more than 70 stitches. She spent six days in the hospital but has been released. Her family has set up a GoFundMe page to pay for her medical expenses because she does not have insurance.

What Were Her Injuries?

Karen Osborne unwittingly got in between a full-grown black bear and one of her cubs who was climbing a tree. The bruin attacked her four times over 35 minutes. The attack left her with a broken arm, cuts to the head and 80 stitches to close wounds on her body.

She curled up into a ball on the driveway as she was attacked. She was able to use her good arm to call 911 between attacks.

The 200-pound bear was euthanized following department protocol that mandates death for any animal that attacks a human, a spokeswoman said. The bear and her three cubs were familiar to local residents, having been turning over garbage bins and scaring up chicken coops.

Osborne and her husband are retired on fixed incomes and have no medical insurance. She spent six days in a hospital trauma center and now needs 24-hour care at home. She has a long road to recovery ahead of her including rehabilitative therapy.

What Can We Do?

Karen Osborne will likely remain hospitalized for several weeks as she recovers from a broken arm, a fractured pelvis and lacerations on her head, torso and legs. Her family has started a GoFundMe account to help pay for her medical bills.

If you are surprised by a bear, the National Park Service says to stay calm and back away slowly. Avoid eye contact and don’t run, which could trigger a predatory response in the animal. Instead, crouch down in a fetal position or crawl away on the ground to escape if it is a bluff charge. If it becomes an aggressive charge, fight back.

The 200-pound female black bear that mauled Osborne was tracked and euthanized, as is state policy after any bear attacks a human. The bear was a mother with three cubs and had been acting protective of her young. The attack occurred when she unknowingly stepped between the mother and her cubs while walking her dog read more.