"I feel bad for the bear" - Officials confirm Jim Thorpe black bear that attacked hiker had rabies

The Pennsylvania Game Commission on January 23, 2025, released a statement confirming that the Black Bear that attacked a Jim Thorpe resident named Andrew Neirer tested positive for rabies, a deadly viral infection that affects all mammals and typically spreads to humans via direct contact with the saliva of the infected animal.

The statement further stated that "the person involved is expected to have a full recovery and has received appropriate medical treatment."

The Black Bear attacked Neirer without any provocation as he was walking to a store near his house in the Carbon County town of Jim Thorpe. The attack was stopped from escalating after a neighbor who witnessed the attack shot the bear down. The incident was caught on camera.

Regarding the attack, Andrew Neirer shared with CBS affiliate WYOU that he was doing fine after the attack and that he understood that the bear was probably hungry and was looking for food.

"But I think number one she was scared because she was just down at the market trying to get into the market. They’re hungry. They’re starving. They’re supposed to be in hibernation. This weather is weird lately. Hot, cold, warm, cold. Emotional, I’m not drained from it. Just part of life, move on. It could’ve been a lot worse. Luckily he saved me, he shot it. I feel bad for the bear ’cause they really do not bother you that much. Just, anything happens." - Andrew Neirer via WYOU/WBRE

According to reports citing the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the behavior exhibited by the Jim Thorpe black bear was not normal, as they are not usually aggressive towards people.

The commission further stated that, though it is unlikely that rabies would have spread since its hibernation season for bears, it is encouraged that any unusual behavior by wildlife is reported to the authorities to prevent spreading.

(Post via Instagram/@nbcphiladelphia)

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Details of the Jim Thorpe Bear Attack

On January 19, 2025, Andrew Neirer, a resident of Jim Thorpe, encountered a black bear in the woods in the Carbon County town of Jim Thorpe as he was walking towards a store on a trail. According to reports, Andrew tried to avoid the bear and walked away without provoking the bear, but the bear walked toward him and attacked him by biting and scratching him.

A nearby resident, who witnessed the attack prevented it from escalating further by shooting the bear down. Later, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reached the scene and collected the remains of the dead bear for testing. According to the latest news, the test revealed that the bear had Rabies.

According to the statement shared by the commission via Facebook, people can report any incidents of abnormal wildlife behavior at 1-833-PGC-WILD.