10-Year-Old Boy Attacked by Bear in Grandparents' Backyard in Connecticut

Mar. 15, 2025

Black bear.Photo: File: Getty

A bear attacked a 10-year-old boy in Connecticut this weekend.

The boy was playing in his grandparents' backyard near a trampoline when the 250-pound bear appeared from the woods near the home, according to local newspaperRepublican-American.

TheConnecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)said in a statement toPEOPLE that the boy was attacked around 11 a.m. on Sunday. According to the agency, the child’s injuries do not appear to be life-threatening.

The boy’s grandfather, James Butler,described the attackto theRepublican-American.

“I heard him yell ‘bear’ and when I looked up, I saw his leg in the bear’s mouth and the bear trying to drag him across the lawn,” Butler told the publication.

File: Cheryl Senter/AP/Shutterstock

Once inside the house, Butler said the bear returned and walked right up to the screen door. “We thought he was coming through the screen,” Butler told the outlet. “No doubt he was a big threat.”

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police, along with Connecticut State Police and DEEP, arrived on the scene, and the bear was euthanized, DEEP told PEOPLE.

RELATED VIDEO:2 Children Killed, Mother Hospitalized After Family Pit Bulls Attack Them Outside Tennessee Home

The 10-year-old was taken to the hospital to treat his injuries. Butler told the outlet that his grandson had a puncture wound on one thigh, bite marks on one of his feet and ankle, and claw marks on his back.

DEEP did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information nor the boy’s current condition.

source: people.com