A bear attack is horrifying enough, but what bears do after they’ve made a kill is apparently way more sinister.
When Natalya Pasternak was attacked by a female bear, the animal must have thought that she was dead because she began burying the 55-year-old woman in the ground to save her for later. It’s basically what the Wumpa was trying to do to Luke Skywalker in his cave at the beginning of Empire Strikes Back, but real.
Natalya was in the forest collecting birch sap with a friend when her dog began barking, warning her of a bear in the vicinity. Her friend escaped and went to alert authorities, but Natalya was left to contend with the bear.
When authorities arrived, they shot the bear and began searching for the body. They suddenly saw a hand jutting out of the ground. After digging, they found Natalya. She was badly hurt, but still alive.
The bear did not bury Natalya out of remorse. As bears are known to do, this one decided she wasn’t hungry and buried the woman so that she could come back later.
Natalya sustained serious injuries to her head and thigh and was in intense shock upon arrival at the hospital. Despite all this, she is now said to be alive and well.
In Empire, Luke escaped from the Wumpa cave by using the force to reach for his lightsaber. Natalya obviously was not gifted with the ways of the force, but luck can sometimes be just as powerful.
