A 12-year-old boy and his father are recovering after battling a black bear that attacked them in their backyard.
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Robin Westgate was in his family’s backyard near the north end of Lake Whatcom on Sept. 13 when he encountered a protective mother bear—and was forced to fight for his life.
The 12-year-old said he had gone to the family’s fruit orchard after dinner to retrieve a popcorn bowl when he suddenly came face to face with the animal.
“Me and the bear startled each other,” Robin said.
The bear lunged at him twice, clawing his side and leaving puncture wounds near his hip.
“It was fight or die. I didn’t really have an option,” Robin said.
Black bears are a familiar sight in the suburban neighborhood, and Robin had previously been taught how to respond if he encountered one.
“If you curl up or if you run away, you’re probably going to die. If you fight, you have a better chance, so fight,” he said.
Robin struck back, jabbing the bear in the eye with his thumb while punching and shouting. His father, Noah, then arrived. The animal broke away from Robin and charged Noah for a third time.
“Strange as it sounds, it was a feeling of relief to have her coming at me,” Noah said.
Noah described entering “code red” mode as he moved to protect his son, much as the bear appeared to be defending her cub.
“She crunches into my hand right at the moment I land the hardest punch of my life,” Noah said.
The bear eventually fled. The family said the outcome might have been far worse if Robin’s younger sister, Riverley, had not heard his screams and gone for help.
“I’m just glad I was outside with him and the injuries weren’t worse,” Riverley said.
“It was a terrifying experience,” Robin said.
Noah added, “I’m a proud papa that my 12-year-old son stood his ground against a black bear.”
The bear has since been seen in the area again. State wildlife workers photographed the animal and placed a trap, but it had not been captured.
Until then, the family is keeping bear spray in the backyard and recognizing that the space belongs to the bear as much as it does to them.
“Just because I got attacked doesn’t change anything about the overall danger,” Robin said. “The only thing that has changed is now I know I can trust myself.”
Wildlife officials say black bear attacks remain exceptionally uncommon—fewer than one occurs per year in Washington, statistically. Still, sightings have become more frequent as urban development expands into bear habitat, especially during this season, when bears are eating heavily to build up fat before winter hibernation.
