{"id":3064,"date":"2026-07-12T11:02:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T11:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/?p=3064"},"modified":"2026-07-12T11:02:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T11:02:48","slug":"a-bear-chewed-off-both-her-arms-while-she-waited-for-help-the-animal-attack-experts-share-what-stories-still-haunts-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/2026\/07\/12\/a-bear-chewed-off-both-her-arms-while-she-waited-for-help-the-animal-attack-experts-share-what-stories-still-haunts-them\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bear Chewed Off Both Her Arms While She Waited for Help. The Animal Attack Experts Share What Stories Still Haunts Them."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A Bear Chewed Off Both Her Arms While She Waited for Help. The Animal Attack Experts Share What Stories Still Haunts Them.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The hosts of Tooth & Claw have spent six years breaking down the worst animal encounters on record. Their most-haunting case: a USGS researcher whose arms were destroyed by a black bear while she radioed for rescue. Here’s what they’ve learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Wes Larson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Published: July 12, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Of all the ways that people can die in the wild, animal attacks rank among the rarer ones. Every year, somewhere between 1 and 3 people die from bear attacks in the United States; half a dozen or so perish in shark attacks worldwide. Going by those numbers, you\u2019re far more likely to meet your maker underneath a tipped-over vending machine or out-of-control lawnmower than reenacting Jaws. <\/em>When it comes to the space animal attacks take up in our brains, however, none of that matters: Whether because of popular media or some primal, gene-level fear inherited from our ancestors, the idea of facing down something large and toothy preoccupies us in way few other topics do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2020, the hosts of Tooth and Claw<\/em><\/a> have been exploring that preoccupation. In each episode the hosts\u2014wildlife biologist Wes Larson, his brother, Jeff Larson, and their mutual friend Mike Smith<\/a>\u2014talk through stories of attacks by a variety of animals, breaking down why they happen and how people and wildlife can coexist more safely. It\u2019s occasionally harrowing, often funny, and always suffused with concern for the other creatures we share the earth with. We caught up with Wes, Jeff, and Mike to find out what species surprised them the most, what hikers need to know before they head into the woods, and why koalas are the one animal they can\u2019t agree on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transcript<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> Hey, I\u2019m Wes Larson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> I\u2019m Jeff Larson,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> And I\u2019m Mike, and we\u2019re the hosts of Tooth & Claw Podcast. It\u2019s a podcast about some of the worst encounters that people can have with animals, what we can learn from those encounters, so that we can fully appreciate the wild things of the world. We\u2019re answering questions with Backpacker today, let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the podcast had a warning label, what would it say?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> It would probably say something like: You\u2019re about to hear some really terrible, awful stories, but we\u2019re trying to help you avoid running into those same kind of instances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> I\u2019d just warn against smoking. Smoking is hazardous to your health. You know, just like a general warning, more than something about us specifically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve covered hundreds of animal encounter stories on the podcast. Which one continues to live rent-free in your mind?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> We\u2019ve covered hundreds of animal encounter stories on the podcast, but there\u2019s definitely one that lives rent-free in my mind, and that would be the story of Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, who was a USGS researcher in Alaska who was attacked by a black bear and had both of her arms essentially chewed off while she was waiting for help. And I think of all the stories we\u2019ve told, it\u2019s the one that really just shocked me the most, was one of the most harrowing, one of the most gory stories, and was very surprising because it\u2019s an animal both me and Jeff have worked with closely, and just not very typical behavior for that animal. So that\u2019s one that I think about a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> Not as closely as she did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> Yeah, that\u2019s true. She worked very closely with it. Yeah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What species surprised you the most in an episode?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> The animal that surprised me the most would be chimpanzees, just that they can like rip off body parts with their hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> Yeah, how easy it is for them. I think for me, the species that probably surprised me the most in an episode was the Brazilian wandering spider. It\u2019s a species of spider that\u2019s native to South America and they have a very interesting side effect to their venom, which if you\u2019re a man and you get bit by this particular spider, you may have a multi-day erection, and you have to go see a doctor to get it treated. And then also just kind of learning that they\u2019re very likely the world\u2019s most dangerous spider. They don\u2019t necessarily have the most toxic venom, but they\u2019re very prone to bite. They\u2019re much more aggressive than most spiders and they do tend to deliver a fair amount of venom when they do bite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were to cast an animal as your fourth podcast co-host, which would you choose?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> If we were to cast an animal, fictional or real, as the fourth podcast co-host, I think I would choose a rattlesnake. I think that like me and Mike can be really silly, but Wes can get there too, so we just need someone on there that\u2019s like serious all the time, you know? I feel like a rattlesnake would be real serious. The only problem is S\u2019s are kind of bad for editing, like S can really hang, so that might be bad for vocals. I would still pick a rattlesnake. I want someone serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> If we were to have an animal as the fourth host of our show, I was thinking Rob Schneider, but I don\u2019t want him to be on the show really, any part of it. So I went with the Muppet Animal. That\u2019s a little chaotic but maybe a drum solo everyone once in a while to take us into an ad break, that\u2019d be sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s something that all of you disagree on?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> Something that we all disagree on is koalas. I think they\u2019re top 10 animal. I have them number nine overall. Wes likes them, but he doesn\u2019t think they\u2019re like that great, and Mike hates them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> I\u2019m anti. Anti-koala coalition. Join me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> Yeah, too much chlamydia for Mike to like that animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> Just a smidge too much. I can stand a little bit but not as much as they got.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> Mike\u2019s mind has never once been changed by any of us on anything. In fact, the more you try to change Mike\u2019s mind, the more he\u2019ll back into his original position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> Dig my heels in, yeah. I\u2019m a man of conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What species most deserves a PR rebrand?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> This is actually a big goal of our show is to give a lot of these animals the PR that they deserve. They often get misrepresented in the media. For me, my answer would probably be snakes in general. I think there\u2019s a lot of people out there that think snakes want to attack people and they will follow you and chase you. And snakes just want to get away from you, and they really only bite if you give them no other option, or if you get far too close to them on accident or on purpose. They really need better PR because a lot of people think that snakes actually chase people, and they really don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> Species that deserves a PR rebrand\u2026 I\u2019m actually going to go with mosquitoes because we all hate them, but I think we should hate them even more. They need even worse PR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s your personal most-memorable animal encounter to date?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> One of my favorites was watching a snow leopard in the Himalayas with a group of new friends and Mike and Jeff. And I think a big part of the reason it felt so special was because we had traveled so far to get there and it was just a real slog. We were camping in negative 5-degree temperatures, we were using a tiny hole in the ground as a bathroom. It was a hard trip, so it felt like we really earned that sighting, and I was just really blown away by how beautiful of an animal they were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> And you know that he really loved that snow leopard because he had diarrhea for like 12 straight hours and that\u2019s still his best wildlife moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> Yeah, he never broke eye contact with the cat, even through the\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> Didn\u2019t you say it looked at you when you pooped once?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> There was definitely once where I was watching it as I was like crouched behind a rock. Yeah, without a doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the most common mistake backpackers make when it comes to wildlife?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> I think the most common mistake is probably just not preparing effectively enough. I think if you\u2019re going into say grizzly bear habitat, you need to be prepared. You need to have a deterrent. We recommend bear spray. If you\u2019re hiking in a place that there might be lots of rattlesnakes, you need to have proper footwear. So just proper preparedness I think is the biggest mistake that people make, really not thinking about wildlife because they\u2019re thinking about so many other things for their trip, and having that prep time where you\u2019re specifically focusing on wildlife is really important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> How backpackers could be more prepared would be to have bear spray accessible. There\u2019s lots of black bears all through the country, and then especially if you\u2019re in grizzly bear country, you just need to have it accessible. Don\u2019t put it in your backpack. Have it on a belt or something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> A common mistake backpackers make a lot of times, and Wes has hammered this point home ad nauseam, but going out alone is always a recipe for potential disaster. So if you have a friend who wants to tag along, if you don\u2019t have a friend, call Jeff. Jeff will go out with you. But that\u2019s going to help deter potential predators from engaging in the first place. It\u2019ll help having someone to make calls or run for help. You want to have someone out there to help you get through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If animals reviewed backpackers, what would they say?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> If animals reviewed backpackers, I think that bears especially, black bears and grizzly bears, would give you guys a one-star review and tell you to stop telling people to not feed the animals, and they would say every hiker should bring a jar of honey and leave it on the trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> I was going to say the same thing. If animals reviewed backpackers, they\u2019d say: Leave out more food, please. We love your food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> And stop hiking with speakers blasting music because it\u2019s annoying to us. From the bears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> Nailed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s one thing learning about animal attacks has taught you about humans?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> I think for me, the number one thing learning about animal attacks has taught me about human spirit is that people are very resilient, and that they\u2019re very forgiving when it comes to wildlife. I think the more people learn about wildlife and they learn about the specific conditions and factors that lead to these attacks, the more they realize that the animal was just acting naturally. And in so many stories that we tell, the people say, \u201cI don\u2019t blame the shark. I don\u2019t blame the bear. I don\u2019t blame the, you know, whatever animal,\u201d because people do understand that we\u2019re sharing this planet with them. And I think that was something that\u2019s been really unexpected for me, and it really makes me feel pretty proud of the human spirit and humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Smith:<\/strong> It\u2019s so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you think humans are getting better or worse at coexisting with wildlife?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Larson:<\/strong> Right now, I think there\u2019s leadership whose focus isn\u2019t on protecting wildlife and that has made some things turn for the worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wes Larson:<\/strong> If I had to say which direction we\u2019re heading, I would say we\u2019re doing better. I think people are realizing more and more that we\u2019ve pushed wildlife to the brink, that we\u2019ve used up a lot of their best habitat, and that we need to coexist and be better about coexisting because of the effect that we\u2019ve already had on wildlife. And I do think that\u2019s happening around the globe and we\u2019re seeing a lot more tolerance in general for wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n

A Bear Chewed Off Both Her Arms While She Waited for Help. The Animal Attack Experts Share What Stories Still Haunts Them. The hosts of Tooth & Claw have spent six years breaking down the worst animal encounters on record. Their most-haunting case: a USGS researcher whose arms were destroyed by a black bear while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":3066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-main"],"modified_by":"Outside Editors","acf":{"article_authors":"","send_as_draft":true,"send_as_paid":true,"send_as_featured":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3064"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3067,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064\/revisions\/3067"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/outside\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}