Two experienced hikers are lucky to be alive after being attacked by a mother grizzly bear in the woods north of Fernie Wednesday morning.
Conservation officers said the outdoorsmen were attacked on the top of Mount Proctor after crossing paths with the grizzly and her cub.
“[The bear] attacked one of the men, knocking him down the bank about 20 to 30 feet, attacking him in the shoulder and arm areas,” said conservation officer Joe Caravetta.
The hiker managed to deploy bear spray but the grizzly wouldn’t leave. Instead, the animal turned its sights to his friend.
The second hiker was carrying a shotgun, and managed to shoot the bear at close range – roughly five feet away, Caravetta said – but the animal wouldn’t stop.
It knocked the hiker down the mountain and attacked him on the arm and shoulder areas as well.
Finally, the grizzly retreated into the bush with her cub.
The hikers were able to perform first aid on each other, and made their way to hospital with relatively minor injuries.
Locals say the attack isn’t surprising. Trevor Fairweather said there’s been an aggressive sow in the area for the last three years.
“They post signs all the time. And I mean all my friends ride in there, I’ve seen the bear. She’s been bluff-charging people,” Fairweather said.
Conservation officers took one of them up in a helicopter Thursday to try and locate the bear, but Caravetta said the grizzly was simply protecting her cub and there is no intention to kill it.
“We just want to make sure it’s not suffering. And if it’s wounded and not badly wounded and it can live, we’ll let it live,” he said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Shannon Paterson
