A Bella Coola man was attacked by a grizzly bear sow Friday morning while walking to work along Highway 20.
“Around 8 a.m. this morning, while walking approximately near Thorsen Creek, he got between a sow grizzly and her two cubs,” said Sgt. Len Butler of the Conservation Officer Service Friday afternoon. “She did a brief attack on him and then took off with her cubs.”
The man made it to the Bella Coola hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening wounds and is in pretty good condition right now, Butler confirmed, adding a predator attack team travelled to Bella Coola Friday to follow up with the incident.
“Every time there’s a mauling, we take the lead on that and we send the team down,” Butler said. “In a case like this because it was more of a defensive attack and the bear is not there we go and do an investigation.”
Butler said the team will interview the attack victim and take his clothing for DNA in case they have to follow up and possibly remove the bear.
“They will do a site assessment and find out what we’re going to do with this. We are hoping the sow has taken her cubs and left. We’re thinking she will be as much upset about the confrontation as the victim is.”
If for some reason the sow was being protective of a fishing hole and was getting aggressive then the COs might have to take further action, he added.
