Latest news with #CharleneElliot
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Nurse Fends Off Bear With Walker In Wild Rice Krispie Standoff At Senior Living Home
A Pennsylvania nursing home had an unexpected, and wild, visitor earlier this week when a juvenile black bear broke through a window and entered the facility in search of food. The chaotic bear encounter took place late Tuesday night, June 3, at Presbyterian Senior Living. According to CBS News Pittsburgh, the bear made its way inside just after 11 p.m., leaving behind shattered glass and visible claw marks on window sills. But thanks to the bravery and quick thinking of the nursing staff, no residents were harmed during the ordeal. 'I grabbed a walker and was hitting him, trying to get him away from the residents,' Charlene Elliot, a nurse at the facility, told CBS News in an on-camera interview. 'Cause my thought was he was going to... maul them or swipe, slap at them. That was my worst fear.' Elliot said her priority was the safety of the elderly residents, and her instincts kicked in fast. She and her team eventually used Rice Krispies Treats to lure the roughly 150-pound cub away from the living area. Their clever snack strategy worked. The bear was safely led outside and later humanely captured by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, who relocated the animal to a more suitable location on Wednesday, June 4. The Game Commission noted that while Pennsylvania is home to approximately 18,000 black bears, the majority tend to avoid human interaction. Most encounters stem from curiosity or the search for food rather than aggression. Still, officials urge residents to remove potential attractants, like bird feeders and unsecured trash, to reduce the chances of future incidents. Elliot, reflecting on the experience, said she had no hesitation about putting herself on the line. 'I feel I went above and beyond for my residents and that's the way I feel,' she said. 'I would put my life on the line for them, and pretty much I did.' Unsurprisingly, the story has gone viral on social media, with users cracking jokes and sharing lighthearted takes on the bear's unexpected visit. "Sometimes even bears can't resist a good Rice Krispies treat," one X user said. "Most excitement that place has had EVER," another joked. "Don't screw around with nursing homes," a third said. "He messed with the wrong people!" someone else wrote. In a statement following the incident, Presbyterian Senior Living praised their staff for handling the situation with courage and compassion. 'We are incredibly proud of our team's quick thinking and dedication to ensuring the safety of everyone in our community,' the organization said. 'To prevent future wildlife encounters, the game warden safely relocated the bear to a more suitable habitat today and all bird feeders on our campus were removed.' As news of the black bear breaking into a Pennsylvania nursing home spreads, social media users have continued to share their reactions, ranging from stunned disbelief to heartfelt relief. 'That's crazy!' one commenter exclaimed, echoing the general shock many felt after learning that a 150-pound bear cub shattered a window and entered the facility late at night. Others were simply in awe of the bizarre headline. 'Omg wow,' a user wrote, while another added, 'Just when you thought you'd seen it all.' Many commenters also expressed gratitude toward the facility staff and wildlife officials who safely handled the situation. 'Thanks for moving the bear cub to a safer environment! So glad that everyone at the nursing home is okay!' one person posted. While the bear's entrance may have sparked fear, others took a more sympathetic tone. 'I don't think the bear meant any harm. The bird feeders would attract the cub for sure!' another user pointed out, referencing the Game Commission's explanation that most bears are curious rather than aggressive. Thanks to the staff's heroic efforts and a little help from some sweet treats, the late-night bear drama ended with everyone, human and bear, safe and sound.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bear Busts Through Nursing Home Window Before Being Lured Out with Rice Krispie Treats
Presbyterian Senior Living got an unusual visitor when a black bear burst through a window at the facility Staff lured it away with food after one person whacked it with a walker The Pennsylvania Game Commission safely captured and relocated the cubA nursing home in Pennsylvania had to evict an unwanted guest after a wild bear burst through their window looking for food. Staff and residents at Presbyterian Senior Living had a busy night on Tuesday, June 3 when a juvenile black bear broke through a window just after 11 p.m. One photo shared by CBS News Pittsburgh showed a shattered window, any showed claw marks by a different window sill. "I grabbed a walker and was hitting him, trying to get him away from the residents," Charlene Elliot told the news station exclusively during an on-camera interview. According to the nurse, her top priority was protecting the elderly residents: "Cause my thought was he was going to... maul them or swipe, slap at them.' 'That was my worst fear," she added. Elliot said her team did their best to get the bear out, using Rice Krispies Treats to lure the wild animal away from their Presbyterian Senior Living residents. Eventually their efforts worked, and they were able to get the animal out while keeping their residents safe. Pennsylvania Game Commission later arrived and set up a trap, which was able to humanely capture the approximately 150 pound cub and relocate it by Wednesday, June 4. Officials say of the estimated 18,000 black bears living in the state, most of them are generally afraid of humans and attacks rarely happen. The animals are typically just curious or looking for easy food. Elliot told the news station she was pleased with the work she did to keep her community safe. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I feel I went above and beyond for my residents and that's the way I feel. I would put my life on the line for them, and pretty much I did," the staffer said. "We are incredibly proud of our team's quick thinking and dedication to ensuring the safety of everyone in our community," Presbyterian Senior Living said in a news release, per CBS News Pittsburgh. "To prevent future wildlife encounters, the game warden safely relocated the bear to a more suitable habitat today and all bird feeders on our campus were removed." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bear Busts Through Nursing Home Window Before Being Lured Out with Rice Krispie Treats
Presbyterian Senior Living got an unusual visitor when a black bear burst through a window at the facility Staff lured it away with food after one person whacked it with a walker The Pennsylvania Game Commission safely captured and relocated the cubA nursing home in Pennsylvania had to evict an unwanted guest after a wild bear burst through their window looking for food. Staff and residents at Presbyterian Senior Living had a busy night on Tuesday, June 3 when a juvenile black bear broke through a window just after 11 p.m. One photo shared by CBS News Pittsburgh showed a shattered window, any showed claw marks by a different window sill. "I grabbed a walker and was hitting him, trying to get him away from the residents," Charlene Elliot told the news station exclusively during an on-camera interview. According to the nurse, her top priority was protecting the elderly residents: "Cause my thought was he was going to... maul them or swipe, slap at them.' 'That was my worst fear," she added. Elliot said her team did their best to get the bear out, using Rice Krispies Treats to lure the wild animal away from their Presbyterian Senior Living residents. Eventually their efforts worked, and they were able to get the animal out while keeping their residents safe. Pennsylvania Game Commission later arrived and set up a trap, which was able to humanely capture the approximately 150 pound cub and relocate it by Wednesday, June 4. Officials say of the estimated 18,000 black bears living in the state, most of them are generally afraid of humans and attacks rarely happen. The animals are typically just curious or looking for easy food. Elliot told the news station she was pleased with the work she did to keep her community safe. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I feel I went above and beyond for my residents and that's the way I feel. I would put my life on the line for them, and pretty much I did," the staffer said. "We are incredibly proud of our team's quick thinking and dedication to ensuring the safety of everyone in our community," Presbyterian Senior Living said in a news release, per CBS News Pittsburgh. "To prevent future wildlife encounters, the game warden safely relocated the bear to a more suitable habitat today and all bird feeders on our campus were removed." Read the original article on People
New York Post
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Hungry bear breaks into nursing home, gets walloped with walker before being lured out with Rice Krispies treats
His stomach was growling for geezers! A hungry black bear broke into a Pittsburgh-area nursing home and wreaked havoc — forcing a caretaker to whack him with a walker while others coaxed him with Rice Krispies treats, workers said Friday. 'I grabbed a walker and was hitting him, trying to get him away from the residents,' nursing assistant Charlene Elliot told CBS News. Advertisement A young black bear broke into St. Andrew's Village, a nursing home located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, leading a caretaker to whack the animal before other members of the building coaxed him with Rice Krispies treats. WPXI-TV News Pittsburgh '[I thought] he's going to maul them or swipe, slap at them. That was my worst fear.' The ballsy young bruin smashed through a window at St. Andrew's Village in Indiana, Pennsylvania, at 11 p.m. Tuesday, and made a b-line for an elderly resident's bed, Elliott said. Advertisement 'I was sitting there at our nurse's station and I heard a big crash,' Elliott told Channel 11. 'Going through my mind was, 'Get the thing out of here!'' The un-bear-able burglar high-tailed it down a hallway into several bedrooms — at one point coming nearly nose-to-nose with an elderly resident, Elliott told the station. 'He could have mauled him. I mean, one swipe,' Elliott said. Advertisement The bear made its way into the nursing home at around 11 p.m. Tuesday and made a b-line for a resident's bed, said nursing assistant Charlene Elliot. WPXI-TV News Pittsburgh 'I told them all to shut the doors. Get the doors all shut!' Meanwhile, another resident offered the critter a sandwich in an attempt to lure him out of the building. 'She's like 'Well, go ahead and give it my sandwich!' and I'm like, 'No, we can't do that!' Elliott said. Advertisement Staffers eventually succeeded at shooing the animal out of the center using the lure of Rice Krispies treats, she said. All told, the 150-pound bear was inside the retirement home for about 15 minutes and nobody was injured. Wildlife officials later captured the bear using a trap, set up with donuts, Thursday morning. 'We are incredibly proud of our team's quick thinking and dedication to ensuring the safety of everyone in our community,' Presbyterian Senior Living, which runs the home, said in a press release.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
WATCH: Bear breaks into western Pennsylvania nursing home
(KDKA) – Nursing homes are used to having visitors, but a retirement community in western Pennsylvania had a rather unbearable guest on Tuesday night. Presbyterian Senior Living, which runs St. Andrew's Village in Indiana, Pennsylvania, said a juvenile male black bear broke through a window a little after 11 p.m. Officials said he was looking for food, but what he found was Charlene Elliot and a few other St. Andrew's nurses. 'I grabbed a walker and was hitting him, trying to get him away from the residents,' Elliot said. 'Cause my thought was he was going to, from quick reaction from them, he's going to maul them or swipe, slap at them. That was my worst fear.' Elliot said that some nurses tried to lure the bear out of rooms with things like Rice Krispies treats, but she said it took her and her team basically wrangling the bear and pushing it out of the door to get it to go. The Pennsylvania Game Commission later came and set up a bear trap. Early Wednesday morning, they were able to humanely catch and relocate the 150-pound yearling. 'I feel I went above and beyond for my residents and that's the way I feel. I would put my life on the line for them, and pretty much I did,' Elliot said. Elliot said that nothing like this has ever happened to her before, but no doubt, residents are happy that she acted quickly and was smarter than the average bear. 'We are incredibly proud of our team's quick thinking and dedication to ensuring the safety of everyone in our community. To prevent future wildlife encounters, the game warden safely relocated the bear to a more suitable habitat today and all bird feeders on our campus were removed,' Presbyterian Senior Living said in a news release. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are about 18,000 black bears in the state, and while they're usually afraid of humans, some that live close by can become habituated. If there are food sources like bird feeders or garbage cans, bears that are used to people can be drawn to backyards. The Game Commission says Pennsylvania's black bears are rather non-confrontational, and attacks are rare. Most of the time, black bears are just looking for an easy meal. While there's no real playbook for a bear breaking into a nursing home, the Game Commission says if you do find yourself in a situation like this, always protect yourself and always try to make sure there is an open door for the animal to go out. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
