A hunter was mauled by a grizzly bear south of Cochrane, Alta., Thursday afternoon, according to Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
“The bear involved in the attack was shot by the survivor’s hunting partner and is believed to be deceased,” said provincial spokesperson Sheena Campbell in a statement. “A second bear, age unknown, fled the scene after the encounter.”
STARS air ambulance told CBC News a man in his 30s had been airlifted from the Springbank area, located immediately west of Calgary.
The air ambulance service didn’t confirm the man’s condition, though Alberta Fish and Wildlife said he survived.
Grizzly attacks on hunters happen too often, bear safety expert says
“We see this every hunting season,” Bear Safety and More founder Kim Titchener said.
“Every hunting season, either here in Canada or the U.S., we have multiple cases of people getting mauled while hunting.”
Earlier this month, an elk hunter fought off a grizzly bear that attacked him in B.C.’s East Kootenay region. He succumbed to his injuries weeks after the attack.
The CBC’s Dan Burritt tells us about Joe Pendry, who used his experience as a boxer to fight for his life when a mother grizzly attacked and severely injured him in B.C.’s East Kootenay region earlier this month.
“We need to change our behaviours and try to do the best we can to make it as safe as possible when we’re out either hunting or biking or trail running or going camping with our friends and family,” Titchener said.
She said hunters move through the wilderness incredibly quietly, which may be one factor behind surprise bear encounters.
“It is common to accidentally call in a carnivore when you’re making noises that sound like a prey species,” she said. “It’s going to draw them in.”
Bears are expected to go into hibernation in the coming weeks, but are still active on the landscape.
“Grizzly bears are still trying to find what’s left out there of vegetation to feed on,” Titchener said. “They’re still trying to fatten up for winter.”
A massive grizzly bear came face-to-face with hikers on Banff’s popular Johnston Canyon trail on Tuesday. (Photo credit: Buck Goroski)
The mauling’s close proximity to Calgary is not unheard of, Titchener said. She pointed to two fatal bear attacks in Mountain View County, northwest of the city.
“Historically, grizzly bears did range across Alberta and the prairie environment,” she said. “It’s bear country, and in some cases bears are moving back into habitat that they once lived in.”
Alberta Fish and Wildlife did not confirm any details about the second bear that fled the scene, though Titchener said the two bears were most likely a mother-cub pair.
“Fish and Wildlife officers will be collecting DNA samples from the survivor to confirm the bear shot in the encounter was the attacking bear,” Campbell said in her statement.
