Latest news with #wildlifeencounter
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Man hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after grizzly bear attack in B.C.
A man has been hospitalized with injuries following a grizzly bear attack near Creston, B.C., said B.C. Conservation Service officers, who later determined the animal's behaviour was defensive in nature. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said in a social media post that the attack happened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday when a husband and wife were riding e-bikes along the Kootenay River near West Creston in southeast B.C. The service said the wife heard her husband scream and saw a grizzly bear running at her. She used bear spray and then realized a second bear was attacking her husband. The wife used bear spray again, and both bears ran off, according to the BCCOS. "Emergency services were called, and the man was transported to hospital in Cranbrook by ambulance, where he underwent surgery," the BCCOS said. RCMP said in a separate statement that the attack happened in the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area. Investigators believe the bears are two to three years old and are known to have been in the area over the last few years. According to police, the two victims were riding their bikes along the park's dike system, near a bat hut, when they were attacked. "The preparedness in this case by way of ready access and use of bear spray may prove to have been a life-saving measure," said Creston RCMP Staff Sgt. Brandon Buliziuk in the statement, reminding hikers to be prepared to encounter predators in the wild. A wildlife co-existence coordinator in the area said on Monday that it's possible the e-bikers came upon the bears too quickly and weren't making enough noise to herald their coming. "Unfortunately, startling a bear is, you know, one of the things that these conflicts arise as a result of," said Dee Howard with Creston Valley Wildlife. Sgt. Ben Beetlestone with the BCCOS confirmed to CBC News on Monday that the two cyclists encountered the bears on a blind corner in a trail that was thick with bushes. "They were very well prepared with their bear spray for an encounter with bears," he said. "[The wife] was very brave, as she was able to have the foresight to call 911 right away and get an ambulance rolling there." The BCCOS says conservation officers swept the area after the attack and didn't locate the bears. They closed three major trails in the area, installed signage and set up traps on Saturday night, but no bears were captured. On Monday, the BCCOS said in a post it determined that the attack was defensive in nature and there was no evidence to suggest the bear had been stalking or hunting the couple. It said officers interviewed the couple, assessed the attack site and consulted with a regional large carnivore specialist. "Due to the defensive nature of the attack, there are no efforts being taken to capture or dispatch the bears at this time," it said. The BCCOS initially called the man's injuries significant, while the RCMP called them life-threatening. On Monday, the BCCOS said the victim underwent surgery and is expected to recover. Creston Mayor Arnold DeBoon, a former conservation officer, told CBC News that there have been concerted efforts over the last few decades to restore grizzly bears in the Creston Valley. "Over the years, they certainly have increased in numbers in the Creston Valley itself," he said. "Because it's agricultural land, these grizzlies have made a home down in the valley and feed quite nicely on silage corn in late summer, and they've certainly tried to get at cherry orchards and other orchards here." DeBoon said it was the third grizzly attack he was aware of in the area in the last few years, but the two previous ones didn't result in life-threatening injuries. "It's something we worry about because we do have fairly thick cover in places in the valley," he said. "I'm sure there have been many times people have walked by grizzly bears and they're in thick cover." Violent Grizzly bear attacks in B.C. are rare, but human conflict with the animals is not. Reports of problems to the BCCOS vary each year, but there are hundreds of calls, on average, close to 800 per year. DeBoon advised people in the backcountry to be on the lookout for telltale signs of bear activity, like bear poop, scratch marks and overturned rocks. "When you're focused on something that you enjoy, you're not always thinking about what the risk factor is ... and again, there are probably a lot of people here that aren't aware of the number of grizzlies that do live quietly in our valley," the mayor said.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Wife bear-sprays grizzly bears away near Creston, B.C., husband hospitalized
A man was rushed to hospital badly hurt over the weekend in what conservation officers described as a grizzly attack in the B.C. Kootenays. As CBC's Chad Pawson reports, his wife is credited with driving the animals away with bear spray.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
B.C. couple survives grizzly bear attack
A popular riverside trail is currently closed after a couple riding e-bikes near Creston, B.C., were attacked by two grizzlies over the weekend, leaving the man with significant injuries.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
No indication grizzly was ‘stalking or hunting' couple before attack: B.C. officials
Officials have completed their investigation into a grizzly bear attack that seriously injured a man in B.C. over the weekend, finding no need to try to trap or kill the animal. A couple were riding e-bikes around Kootenay Lake in Creston on Saturday 'likely startled the two bears in a surprise encounter on a corner of the trail, which is bordered by thick brush,' the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in an update Monday. The pair were carrying bear spray, which allowed the woman to fend both animals off. The man required transport to hospital and surgery for unspecified but significant injuries from which he is expected to recover, according to the BC COS. 'No evidence was found to suggest either bear had been stalking or hunting the couple. There were no reports of bear activity or aggressive bear behaviour in the area prior to the Saturday afternoon attack,' the agency said. Because the attack was 'defensive in nature' no further steps will be taken. The BC COS is commending the couple for being prepared. 'They had bear spray, had it readily accessible, and knew how to use it,' said Insp. Dave Webster, in a statement. 'We'd like to recognize these actions and encourage anyone hiking, biking or recreating in bear country to take similar precautions.' Trails in the area remain closed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Hiker survives after being mauled by brown bear in Alaska
A hiker was rescued after reportedly getting attacked by a brown bear along a trail in Alaska, according to the Anchorage Fire Department. On Tuesday at approximately 3 p.m., officials responded to 911 calls from a hiker "reporting they were mauled by a bear and needed help as soon as possible," the fire department said in a statement. The attack occurred about two miles up the Dome Trail in Anchorage, the local police department confirmed to ABC News. The female hiker -- who has not been identified by officials -- reported that she "could not get out" on her own "due to injuries sustained in the mauling," the fire department said. The woman provided directions to her location on the trail and remained on the phone with officials while they scanned the area to locate her, according to police. Firefighters and paramedics responded to the scene, with drones deployed to help find the hiker, according to officials. Once she was located, she was rescued with a helicopter and transported to a local hospital with "what we believe to be non-life-threatening injuries," police said. MORE: 89-year-old man and dog killed in bear attacks in Florida: Officials Police told ABC News the hiker is in stable condition as of Wednesday and that, at this time, they "will not be sharing her name with the public." The brown bear ran off after the incident, the fire department noted in its statement. As of Tuesday night, Alaska Fish & Game was still trying to locate the bear. Officials said hikers in Anchorage are "encouraged to file trip plans with friends or family prior to trekking off into the great outdoors" and recommend people leave a copy of their trip plans underneath their vehicle's windshield. "Information regarding your planned route can be invaluable as we try to locate you in case of an emergency," the fire department said. With both black and brown bears living within the municipality of Anchorage, the local parks and recreation department provides tips to keep in mind while recreating in any park or trail in the area, including to remain in groups, make noise, carry bear spray, leash all dogs and to never run from a bear. "Stop, group up, talk to the bear and let it know you are human," Anchorage Parks and Recreation said on its website. According to the National Park Service, the majority of bear attacks occur not because the animal is hunting a human, but when it feels threatened or is protecting its young. The only exception is if the bear is "suffering from very severe starvation," the NPS said on its website.
