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Dad fights bear.


Johan Otter and his 18-year-old daughter, Jenna, from Escondido, California, went hiking in Glacier National Park Glacier National Park, United States
Glacier National Park, 1,013,572 acres (410,497 hectares), NW Mont.; est. 1910. Straddling the Continental Divide, the park contains some of the most beautiful primitive wilderness in the Rocky Mts.
 in Montana on August 25, hoping to see some of the park's wildlife. But an encounter with a very large grizzly bear grizzly bear or grizzly, large, powerful North American brown bear, characterized by gray-streaked, or grizzled, fur. Grizzlies are 6 to 8 ft (180–250 cm) long, stand 3 1-2 to 4 ft (105–120 cm) at the humped shoulder, and weigh up to  gave them a better view of the wildlife than they wanted.

The large grizzly was the mother of two cubs, and she was ready to aggressively protect her young. She immediately attacked; however, Mr. Otter was equally protective of his offspring and he unhesitatingly risked his own life to save his daughter's.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is one of two daily newspapers in Seattle, Washington, United States, the other being the Seattle Times. History
The P-I, Seattle's first newspaper, was founded on December 10, 1863 as the Seattle Gazette
 told his story: "The mother bear surged straight for the man. Her teeth sank into his right thigh, and her long claws raked rake 1  
n.
1. A long-handled implement with a row of projecting teeth at its head, used especially to gather leaves or to loosen or smooth earth.

2. A device that resembles such an implement.

v.
 his face, shattering his right eye socket eye socket
n.
See orbital cavity.
."

As the attack commenced, his one thought was to keep the bear focused on him and away from his daughter. He tried to draw the bear away from his daughter by throwing himself down a 30-foot embankment. The bear followed and "landed on his back." In vain, Mr. Otter tried to get a rock or his bear spray to fight back. He briefly thought he would die when he felt one of the bear's fangs go into his head, and he could hear his skull crack. But then the bear let go.

The bear briefly mauled Jenna, biting her face and shoulder before departing. Jenna's injuries were minor. Her father's wounds were more serious: he received a fractured eye socket, broken ribs, a fractured vertebrae Vertebrae
Bones in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions of the body that make up the vertebral column. Vertebrae have a central foramen (hole), and their superposition makes up the vertebral canal that encloses the spinal cord.
, and severe scalp wounds from the bear's fangs that came close to reaching his brain.

Being active hikers, both generations of Otters are in excellent physical condition, which helped them survive their experience.
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No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2005, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Title Annotation:THE GOODNESS OF AMERICA
Author:Mass, Warren
Publication:The New American
Article Type:Brief Article
Geographic Code:1U9CA
Date:Oct 17, 2005
Words:281
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