A bear attacked a 7-year-old boy in his backyard, and the boy is now healing.

According to a press release from the North Castle Police Department, the attack took place on Tuesday about 11:15 a.m. while the boy was playing outside his home in North Castle, New York State.
Authorities informed WABC that the youngster and his sister were playing in the backyard of their house when the incident occurred, and that both of the boy’s parents were present to save the boy.

On Hickory Kingdom Road in Westchester County, roughly 40 miles north of Manhattan, North Castle Police Officers, Banksville Fire Department, Animal Control, and other services were called to the scene.

EMS provided on-site care for the child, who was then sent to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.

After the youngster was taken to safety, according to the officials’ press release, the bear stayed in the yard where the incident occurred and “continued to present a danger to first responders and area residents.”

According to WABC, North Castle Police Department Chief Peter Simonsen said, “Our concern was he did not retreat so at one point he did advance and when you have that many people, I would think that an animal of that kind would normally retreat and it did not.”

The conventional response of bears, he continued, “especially with increased activity and noise, is to retreat.”

Before killing the bear on the spot, authorities called the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), according to the police press release. According to a Westchester County Department of Health representative, the DEC then “took possession of the bear” and moved the animal there for rabies testing.

Residents of the region told WABC that although there were many bears roaming the area, no one had ever reported being attacked by one.

The animal was characterized as a male black bear that was larger than a cub but not yet an adult, according to the site.

Black bears reportedly “usually retreat before people are aware of them” and attacks are uncommon, according to the US Forest Service.

The group advises people to keep their cool and begin slowly backing away while facing a black bear if they see one. It advised creating a lot of noise, such as yelling or whistling, to frighten the bear.