A Pennsylvania teenager attacked by a bear while hunting was told “to put yourself in the place” of the bear in a letter from the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA sent 18-year-old Camille Bomboy the letter four days after she suffered injuries from bear bites and nearly lost her ear.
In the letter on behalf of the organization’s supporters, PETA’s Special Projects Division manager wished Bomboy a “speedy recovery” but also asked her to “take a few moments to reflect on this incident” from the perspective of the bear and other hunted animals. “Like us, animals value their lives and don’t want to be killed,” PETA wrote.
“Now that you’ve experienced the horror of an attack — although this one was in self-defense — we hope you will choose to enjoy nature in only nonviolent ways,” PETA said, asking the injured teen to abandon hunting.
Bomboy told WeAreCentralPA.com that she plans to continue hunting despite the attack. She was saved when her stepfather fired shots into the air to scare the bear away.