Conservation authorities have killed the grizzly bear suspected of attacking a Quadra Island man in a remote area of the mainland coast on Monday.
The man fended off the attack by stabbing the grizzly with a knife, and he is now recovering in hospital, according to Tyler Hooper, a spokesperson for the B.C. Ministry of the Environment. A relative of the man identified him as Colin Dowler.
The attack took place in the backcountry area of Ramsey Arm, about 2.5 hours north of Powell River, the BC Conservation Office said in a statement on Tuesday. The man was biking and hiking in the area.
“The male was by himself on a logging road when he was attacked by what seemed like a grizzly bear,” according to the statement. “The male had a knife on him and was able to stab the bear and end the attack.”
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The badly injured man cycled to a nearby camp, where he received first aid from environmental workers before he was transported to hospital with serious injuries.
Conservation officers later investigated, tracking the injured bear, which had been stabbed in the neck.
“It was bleeding really badly,” Hooper said. “They found the bear, it was wounded, they euthanized it.”
Conservation officers said the bear was showing “predatory behavior” and the attack was likely unprovoked.
An apparent knife wound was found on the bear’s neck, corresponding to a description given by the survivor of the attack, Hooper said. The man is expected to make a full recovery.
