Woman treated at hospital after pet bear attack in Pickens County

www.independentmail.com/ ^

[Chet 99]

PICKENS COUNTY — A 21-year-old Pickens woman was taken to a hospital Thursday night after a pet bear attacked her.

Lt. Robert McCullough, spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, said the woman was at a relative’s home in Pumpkin Town near when one of two pet black bears attacked her right hand when she reached inside the bear’s cage.

Independent Mail coverage partner WSPA News Channel 7 reports that the woman has been identified as Melody Hankle.

McCullough said the woman suffered severe injuries including deep cuts and possibly broken bones. She was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital by Pickens County emergency medical services, said Fred Anthony, director of Pickens County EMS.

Greenville Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Sandy Dees could neither confirm nor deny whether Hankle was a patient there as of Friday night.

McCullough said the bears, one male and one female, are 5 years old and weigh about 250 pounds. They were in separate cages when the male bear attacked the woman, he said.

The department is investigating the attack, McCullough said, to determine whether the owners were properly permitted have the bears. He said it was “very likely” the department would take possession of the animals.

“There are very specific conditions required to receive and maintain a permit to own bears,” McCullough said. “There are a lot of issues when it comes to properly dealing with domesticated bears, so it is still open as to what we will do once the investigation is complete.”

As of Friday, no charges had been filed against the owners. McCullough said the woman was at the home for a family get-together Thursday night when the attack occurred.

[cripplecreek]

Que the bear photo.

STAT.

[JoeProBono]

[Paladin2]

Note to self:

Keep hands out of loaded bear cage.

[cripplecreek]

I have a rule against keeping carnivores larger than myself.

[OldDeckHand]

"Pet Bear"

Now, there's an oxymoron if I've ever seen one.

[Pearls Before Swine]

..one of two pet black bears attacked her right hand when she reached inside the bear’s cage.

Biting the hand that feeds them, apparently.

[Outlaw Woman]

Sort of like the way Obama voters are going to get treated huh...

[Revolting cat!]

Melody Hankle, Pumpkin Town, Pickens County? Something’s wrong from the getgo!

[Colvin]

I kind of thought this was a post from Chet 99, who confused Pit Bull and Pet Bear.

[PAR35]

one of two pet black bears attacked her right hand when she reached inside the bear’s cage.

I'll have to side with the bear on this one.

[OpeEdMunkey]

Note to self:

Don’t keep pets that want to eat me.

[Slings and Arrows]

Wow! Who could have seen THAT coming?

[Daffynition]

The bear was just upset they wouldn't take him to Oktoberfest. He had to take it out on someone.

[LucyT]

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

...;0)

[LucyT]

They need a watch-cat.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Kitty be Baaad To The Bone!...;0)

[metmom]

“There are a lot of issues when it comes to properly dealing with domesticated bears, so it is still open as to what we will do once the investigation is complete.”

No such thing as *domesticated bears*.

It's more like *continually well fed bears*.

[metmom]

What’s that picture from?