According to the local Chinese outlet Jimu News on the 1st, on the 7th in Qinghai Province's Yushu, a pregnant woman surnamed Xiaoqing (alias) who was herding cattle home was attacked by a black bear. The moment she, realizing a black bear was 4–5 meters behind, tried to turn around, the bear let out a roar and charged.
The bear bit her head and face, and blood streamed from her right eye and left ear. At that moment, she instinctively lay on the ground, played dead, and held her breath. According to the outlet, the bear tapped her arm once with its claws and, getting no response, left the scene.
With help from nearby herders, she barely made it home, unable to see out of her right eye and with her face severely swollen. Her husband drove for 40 hours to take her to the emergency room at Xi'an People's Hospital. She did not fly because intraocular pressure could be affected.
At 14 weeks pregnant, she underwent a six-hour surgery on the 9th despite various risks to the fetus, passed through intensive care, and was discharged on the 18th. Her post-surgery course was favorable and the fetus was safe, but it was reported that vision in her right eye would be difficult to recover.
She and her husband said their biggest concern was the fetus, noting, "We worry that anesthesia, surgery, various tests, and drug treatments could affect fetal development and that the baby might be born with deformities or congenital diseases." The husband said that his wife and child survived together under the bear's claws and that they would never give up the child.
He added that, under government policy, they will be reimbursed for more than 90% of the medical costs, but the expense of staying in Xi'an for follow-up treatment is also a heavy burden.