British Columbia’s Conservation Officer Service says a grizzly attack on a couple in the province’s Interior over the weekend was likely “defensive in nature,” and it’s unlikely the bears were stalking people.
The attack on a couple e-biking along the river saw a man significantly injured and requiring hospitalization and surgery in Cranbrook, B.C.
The man’s wife used bear spray to deter the animal attacking her husband and another that ran toward her, in what the service says was likely a “surprise encounter” for the bears, startled by the bikes on a corner of a trail bordered by thick brush.
Conservation Officer Service Insp. Dave Webster says the couple was “well-prepared” for possible bear encounters in the wild, helping reduce the severity of the attack.
“They had bear spray, had it readily accessible, and knew how to use it,” Webster says in the service’s Facebook statement.
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