Rich Moyer, Pennsylvania Bear Attack Victim, Receives 70 Stitches

NEWPORT, Pa. — A Pennsylvania man attacked by a bear inside his home when the animal followed his dog inside has a newfound appreciation for the power of nature after he needed 70 staples and stitches to close the gaping wound on the back of his head.

"I know what it's like to be a salmon now," Richard Moyer told WHTM-TV.

His head and arms heavily bandaged, Richard Moyer said the bear ran inside his Perry County home as he let the dog in early Monday morning. Moyer and his wife, Angela, were hospitalized for bite and scratch marks but released in the afternoon.

The bear jumped on him and attacked his wife when she tried to intervene, Moyer said. Angela Moyer was knocked to the ground and dragged on to the home's patio, prompting her husband to jump back into the fray, he said.

"That's when the bear tried to make a meal out of me, and started tearing my head apart," Moyer told WHP-TV.

The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Moyer said a doctor who treated him said he was fortunate that his size helped him fight off the bear.

"I'm just thankful it stopped," Moyer told WGAL-TV. "Because if it didn't stop I might be in a box right now."

The bear was likely a female who felt her cubs were threatened by the dog, said Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser.

"A bear encountering a dog is more likely to run away," he said.

Pennsylvania has not experienced a fatality from a black bear attack in more than a century, Feaser said.

The game commission has set up a bear trap in Moyer's yard.

Comments

[blarneydude]

01:17 PM on 10/06/2011

I have to say this:

If I ever saw a woman like that grappling with a bear, I would intervene - gently, suavely, smoothly but most definitely physically - to assist the bear.

[niko73]

12:55 PM on 10/05/2011

Lots of bear/human interactions this year. Many more in the west, and more than usual with grizzlies. This is good stuff here:

Wrangler charges griz to save boy in Flathead

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_0d0e83fc-e33a-11e0-9b71-001cc4c03286.html

Here we have a young lady who charged a grizzly to save an 8 year old boy. And a happy ending for the people and the bear.

[Neil20]

11:57 AM on 10/05/2011

That house where the man and his wife lives is in bear territory. Period. The bear is out there fending for her cubs. Man comes into her territory, disturbs her and she attacks. No, you'll say, the man was not attacking the bear. Is it? The bear ain't gonna follow the man to the city, my friend. Anyway, the man and his wife should not have been there. Frequent bear attacks must be blamed on the one-sided environmental policies of the state and the federal government. They have not provided enough safeguards to keeping the bears safe from human beings, not the other way round. And then when the bears get dangerous the police are called in and the poor animal is shot to death. I hope the man has learnt his lesson. And why may I ask should a bear trap be set up? Leave the bears alone, dammit!

[edutchboy]

03:53 PM on 10/05/2011

Go hug a tree...................

[Paul J Bucksbee]

11:30 PM on 10/30/2011

WHAT? DO YOU HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT? SO GOING BY YOUR WAY OF OF THINKING, A PERSON THAT IS IN THEIR HOME AND A GANG MEMBER COMES THROUGH THE DOOR AND SHOOTS THEM, IT IS THEIR FAULT FOR LIVING IN A GANG AREA? I HOPE YOU STAY IN THE CITY MAN

[redheadfemfite]

12:34 AM on 10/05/2011

Another bear that didn't get the memo that is "naturally afraid of humans". The bear ceased to be protecting its cubs when it had to chase the dog to reach the house. Of course, this was a harmless black bear, not one of the more dangerous grizzly bears.

[diannahluv]

12:20 AM on 10/05/2011

so let's see....if a human enters your home and you shoot and kill them you're not in trouble. BUT, if a black bear enters your home and you shoot it and kill it you can go to jail/prison??? Something's wrong with that picture!!!

[philusafret]

10:48 PM on 10/04/2011

Hmmmmm, had that happened to me, I'd be enjoying bear roast for a while, courtesy of my
.44 magnum. No kids in house, it's loaded and it's handy.

[wtf is this]

12:05 AM on 10/05/2011

I'm assuming you carry it with you all over the house too. Cuz you never know when a bear will pop in.

[sweetlilthing]

05:11 AM on 10/05/2011

I'd be choking down that bear roast after paying $600. an hour for crime scene cleaning crew to clean up after shooting a 500 lb bear in my home

[sparkygirl91]

10:47 PM on 10/04/2011

Okay, I'm having a real problem with how do you not notice a bear followed your dog into the house - ??? How is that possible? Was the door open and the dog (and bear) walked in? What? I've said this before and I'll say it again - if you live in bear country, you better learn to co-exist. And I do find it interesting the bear did absolutely nothing to the dog other than, apparently, follow it home. Mmmmmmmmmm. Interesting.

[csunbean]

10:24 PM on 10/04/2011

That man knows what it is like for a 6 ft 6 inch man to be mauled ... now if only he could shrink down to between two feet to five feet then he'd know what it is like for tots and kids to be attacked by a pitbull...70 stitches in the neck or face leaves them. D E A D...

[oldbears01]

10:13 PM on 10/04/2011

The pioneers shot dangerous animals to protect their families not just for food. Now there is a big push to return bear, cougar, wolves, etc. to their natural range. Unfortunately humans have lived there for over a century and now we are having more attacks then ever before. I saw several posts about the poor animal just protecting its cubs, turf. etc, too bad, attack me and you will be generously given a hail of lead. For you city dwellers that are horrified by such thoughts stay in the city with the two legged predators. Yes, I belong to the NRA, Tea Party and I am conservative.

[atmosphere1823]

11:35 PM on 10/04/2011

Illegal to shoot a black bear here in NW New Jersey, even if it enters your home and attacks you.

Bears are more valuable and protection-worthy than humans are, over here.

[oldbears01]

07:52 AM on 10/05/2011

It is the "New order" we are ruled by fools who were elected by fools. Our "Rights" have been trumped by animal, EPA, political correctness, etc. We are now sublects to be ordered around by an out of control Gov. Vote for freedom 2012.

[gloriaswanson43]

12:04 PM on 10/05/2011

Ridiculous. Bear, cougar, criminal, vampire, zombie enters house uninvited: shoot and share the meat with neighbors.

[Neil20]

12:05 PM on 10/05/2011

And it is precisely you guys that have been butchering the environment and the nation's wildlife for your own selfish needs. You belong to the NRA, nothing to be proud of. You are a Tea Party guy. Nothing redeeming there and a conservative. You're selfish. Humans lived in that area for over a century? Well, friend the bears lived there in peace for thousands of years much before the Universe even thought of your existence. Well, give me a gun and experience the generous hail of lead you talk about.

[oldbears01]

08:00 PM on 10/05/2011

The environment was saved by sportsmen setting up the natural preserves paid for with monies collected from the same source.
The NRA's main job is protecting the constitutional right to have firearms.
Those peaceful bears were of great interest to both the indians and pioneers as those loving, peaceful, harmless fuzzy fellows could and would kill and eat you.
Lastly your typical Socialist Liberals Of Progressivism (acronym SLOP) comment to give you a gun:
A. You aren't old enough or mature enough to own one.
B. You aren't trained in the use of a firearm.
C. You probably live in a city that has banned gun ownership
D. You are obviously in need of mental health help as you see fit to threaten an innocent person with death.
You SLOPs are a sad lot filled with anger and believing the lies of your masters thinking yourself clever.

[oldbears01]

09:25 PM on 10/06/2011

Hey Neil we're waiting for your reply.

[OhBarryBaby]

10:07 PM on 10/04/2011

Now *that's* my kind of a woman!!!

[jimhere3]

09:51 PM on 10/04/2011

im not sure if this new salmon shampoo is working ?

[David Jeffers]

06:44 AM on 10/05/2011

Glad to be #19 for the laugh first thing this morning!

I wonder if momma was trying to fight the bear or remove the salmon scent from hubbies head..

[war1800eagle]

09:49 PM on 10/04/2011

What?! No picstures? The guy missed an opportunity to sell some snapshots to National Geographic.

[unclechisr]

09:45 PM on 10/04/2011

so the state decides to set a trap????? as apposed to immediately going after the bear with a pack of hounds and killing this bear as fast as possible?????....This was obviously the decision of a liberal....and perfectly demonstrates the insanity in letting a liberal handle ANYTHING

[jimhere3]

09:45 PM on 10/04/2011

Jerry Feaser.

"A bear encountering a dog is more likely to run away," he said.

unless they follow your dog into the house and try to chew your head off , he added .

[Mr Anonymous]

08:20 PM on 10/04/2011

I didn't know you could get stitches from nightmare bears.