A hiker is recovering in hospital with serious injuries after fighting off a grizzly that attacked him on a remote stretch of the B.C. coast north of Powell River.
The BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) says the man from Quadra Island was hiking and biking in the remote backcountry of Ramsey Arm on Monday, and stabbed the bear with a knife.
There were no witnesses.
According to the COS, the injured man rode his bike to a camp where local environmental workers treated his injuries.
The injured man was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
Conservation officers are on their way to the remote area to investigate and to try to locate the bear.
Statistics show that there have been between 62 and 95 callseach July to the COS across British Columbia regarding grizzly bear encounters over the past six years. Last year in July, conservation officers destroyed five bears.
While the specifics of the encounter aren’t known, conservation organizations like WildSafe BC recommend not working or travelling alone in bear country, always carrying bear spray, and being familiar enough with bear behaviour to assess whether the encounter is offensive or defensive, and respond accordingly.
No one from the COS was available to provide more details or an interview.
With files from CTV News Vancouver Island’s Scott Cunningham
