A 3-year-old girl is in the hospital recovering after she was attacked by a bear in her own backyard. The family lives in British Columbia, according to Global News, and the family was in the backyard when they heard their toddler screaming from the patio.
But the cries were unlike anything her parents had ever heard before, so they sprinted to the back of the house to see what was going on. There, they discovered Anaiyah Lekei in the grips of a bear who was biting her neck.
Fortunately, Andrea Lekei told CTV News that her husband’s quick thinking allowed them to separate the two after he fired his compound bow directly at the bear’s head. The shot was enough to get the bear to leave, although not enough to kill it, so officials are warning residents to be careful when outside their homes.
The good news is that Anaiyah is recovering nicely and expected to make a full recovery, although we doubt that either she or her parents will forget this moment anytime soon.
Lekei Recounted the Horrifying Story for Reporters
The terrified mom shared a bit more about what unfolded when she and her husband got outside to help their daughter. The terrified mom said her husband managed to get the bear away just as it was about to bite the child’s neck again. “The bear just kept coming back. He had no other choice but to get his compound bow,” she continued. “He did shoot the bear in the head, and the bear at that point ran off.”
According to the mom, her daughter needed to be airlifted to B.C.’s Children’s Hospital in nearby Vancouver. “She has pretty deep lacerations to the back of her neck and her head, and puncture wounds throughout her back and neck and scratches as well,” she continued, telling the publication how she and her husband are still in shock.
“But we’ve been staying strong for her. She’s a brave little warrior. I cannot believe how tough she is.”
The Neighborhood Is Still on High Alert
On Aug. 11, 2026, Mounties reported that a bear they had shot and killed was not the one that they initially believed to be responsible for the attack. According to the National Post, a bear was seen at the family’s home after the attack, and it appeared to be very aggressive.
Mounties fired on the bear, and it fled after being hit. They were later able to track the bear’s body down, where necropsy results proved that it wasn’t the same animal that attacked Anaiyah.
According to the British Columbia government’s website, the agency receives thousands of calls about incidents with black bears each year, with most of them appearing to take place in the summer months. While attacks from these animals remain low, the statistics serve as a good reminder that bear populations are still active in the area, and people should be bear aware when they’re outside.