Tourist Mauled by Bear After Rolling Down Car Window to Take Selfie With It
A tourist was mauled by a brown bear after lowering her car window to take a selfie with the animal.
On Monday, 72-year-old British tourist Moira Gallacher was attacked by a wild bear as she rolled down her window to take a photo with it during a drive through the Carpathian Mountains in Romania.
Scottish tourist mauled by bear through car window in Romania. https://t.co/M0AI6538VQ pic.twitter.com/nL9SFzgGkS
— STV News (@STVNews) April 23, 2024
Gallacher and her friend Charmian Widdowson were driving on the Transfăgărășan mountain road in Argeş County when they came across two bears.
Gallacher took a photo of the bears as they stood near the driver Widdowson’s window. However, she wanted to take a better selfie with the bear.
The Tourist Wanted a ‘Proper Picture’ With The Bear
So Widdowson turned the vehicle around to be closer to the animals and Gallacher decided to roll down the car window to take a photo of herself with the bear.
But, the “mummy bear” leaped onto its hind legs outside the vehicle and clamped its jaws around Gallacher’s hand while she tried to take a photo with it.
The bear then pounced on Gallacher and mauled her right arm.
“What happened was the bear came up to the window at my friend’s side, and no problem. It let us take a picture and went away,” Gallacher tells Scottish outlet STV News in a video published on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“But I didn’t get a proper picture, so we went back and it was at my side.”
As the bear chomped into Gallacher’s arm, Widdowson quickly stepped on the gas and drove away from the bear to escape further attack.
Lucky to Be Alive
Gallacher was immediately taken to a Curtea de Argeș Municipal Hospital hospital where she is being treated for injuries on her right hand.
The tourist is lucky to be alive following the attack. She credits her survival to the fact that she was wearing a thick piece of clothing that day.
“I’m a very lucky woman,” Gallacher tells STV news.
“I was wearing a padded jacket and a top and another top — that’s what saved my arm. I’ve been very, very lucky.
“The shock has set in today, but everything’s ok now.”
According to STV News, Romania is home to Europe’s largest population of brown bears. The animals tend to hibernate in the winter and emerge in March and April.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
