Arizona teenager rescued by sibling after black bear breaks into cabin and assaults him | United Kingdom News

A black bear entered a teenage boy’s cabin, leaving him with scratches on his face and arm. The boy, Brigham Hawkins, 15, was in one of two cabins on his family’s property in Alpine, Arizona, when the bear walked in and attacked him, according to his mother Carol.

Carol Hawkins told NBC News that Brigham suffers from a neurological disorder, and she believes he would have been killed if his brother Parker, 18, had not intervened.

She described the terrifying ordeal, explaining how the bear swiped at Brigham’s head and then chased Parker when he arrived to help. Eventually, the bear sat on the porch as the family called for help.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) arrived on the scene and managed to dispatch the bear, which was a three-year-old male. The bear’s carcass will be tested for diseases.

Brigham received rabies shots as a precaution and is said to be doing better. Carol Hawkins reflected on the incident, speculating that the bear may have been hungry but emphasized that its behavior was not typical.

Despite the frightening experience, she expressed gratitude that her son survived and acknowledged that it could have been much worse. The family is still in disbelief but feels blessed to have escaped the encounter.

According to the AZGFD, there have been 16 bear attacks on people in Arizona since 1990, with two of them resulting in fatalities.