Brian McDonald
A man in British Columbia suffered “significant injuries” after being attacked by a grizzly bear while hunting with his father, Canadian authorities said Friday.
The 36-year-old man and his father were tracking a bear with dogs on Thursday near Elkford — a remote area about 130 kilometers southwest of Calgary — when an adult grizzly bear suddenly attacked him, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. in a statement. press release. Despite suffering fractures and lacerations during the attack, the man managed to defend himself with his weapon and the bear fled. His father asked for help.
The victim suffered “serious injuries” and was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Calgary, where he remains, according to the Conservation Officer Service. The man was in stable condition when he was taken from the scene, police said.
There was initially no indication whether the grizzly bear was alive or injured. After an extensive search, at approximately 9 p.m. local time, conservationists located a dead grizzly bear in the area. Officers said they are confident it was the bear involved in the attack and that it succumbed to its gunshot wounds.
Conservation Officer Service
Conservation officers were working with Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers to interview the victim and collect evidence.
Grizzly bear attacks are rare, but there have been a few incidents in recent months in Canada and the US. Last fall, a Canadian couple and their dog were killed by a grizzly bear while backpacking in Banff National Park. The couple’s nephew said they sent a final ominous message they sent from their GPS device: “Bad bear attack.”
A few weeks before that, a hunter in Montana was severely attacked by a grizzly bear.
Last July, a grizzly bear fatally attacked a woman on a forest trail west of Yellowstone National Park. The bear was later euthanized after breaking into a home near West Yellowstone in August.
Also that month, a 21-year-old woman who planted trees was seriously injured by a bear in British Columbia. Canadian authorities were unable to locate the animal, but believe it was a grizzly bear that attacked the woman.
In October 2022, a grizzly bear attacked and injured two college wrestlers in the Shoshone National Forest in northwestern Wyoming.
Grizzly bears in the contiguous 48 states are protected as endangered speciesaccording to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Last month, the US National Park Service announced it was launching a campaign to capture grizzly bears in Yellowstone Park for research purposes. The agency urged the public to avoid booby-trapped areas, which would be clearly marked.
