Man injured in Tenquille Lake grizzly attack
Animal’s bite ‘blocked’ by pepper spray canister: officer
By
Reporter
David Burke
dburke@whistlerquestion.com
A Pemberton man suffered minor injuries when he was attacked by a young grizzly bear while hiking near Tenquille Lake on the weekend.
The man was hiking with a woman at the lake some 40 kilometres from Pemberton on Sunday (Oct. 13) when the two encountered a family of three grizzly cubs and a sow, Chris Doyle of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said on Tuesday (Oct. 16).
The two hikers were on a trail when they came into a clearing and encountered the mother grizzly and three cubs that appeared to be about two years old, Doyle said.
The sow and two of the cubs fled up a hill, but one of the cubs stayed behind and charged the two hikers, he said. It bit the man in the leg, Doyle said.
“Fortunately, when the bear bit into his leg, it was where the pepper spray was, and that blocked some of the bite,” Doyle said of the man, who then managed to pull out the spray and spray the animal in the face.
The bear was described as weighing about 200 pounds, Doyle said.
Doyle said that while the attack is not considered unusual behaviour for grizzly bears, officers attended the scene and posted signs warning other hikers of the danger. “It’s common for grizzlies to be seen in that area,” he said.
Meanwhile, officers shot and killed a young black bear after it was injured in a collision with a taxi van on Highway 99 near Whistler Village on Friday (Oct. 11). It was the eighth bear to die as a result of collisions with vehicles in Whistler this year.
The young bear was the sibling of Candy, the bear cub that stowed away on a garbage truck and wound up in Squamish last year.
“It was known to hang out near the (waste) transfer station. It was highly conditioned to garbage,” Doyle said of the bear that was struck.
Doyle also reported that bears have been frequenting Whistler Village of late, mostly at night. He said in more than one instance, crowds have gathered to gawk at the animals, putting themselves and the bears in danger.
“People aren’t always leaving when we ask them to leave, and sometimes they’re blocking the bears’ escape routes,” he said.
Those who see bears should remember that they’re wild animals and that they should maintain a safe distance and follow officers’ instructions. As well, Doyle reminded the public to keep attractants, including garbage, behind locked doors. To report a bear sighting, please call (604) 905-BEAR (2327) or 1-877-952-7277.
Animal’s bite ‘blocked’ by pepper spray canister: officer
By
Reporter
David Burke
dburke@whistlerquestion.com
A Pemberton man suffered minor injuries when he was attacked by a young grizzly bear while hiking near Tenquille Lake on the weekend.
The man was hiking with a woman at the lake some 40 kilometres from Pemberton on Sunday (Oct. 13) when the two encountered a family of three grizzly cubs and a sow, Chris Doyle of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said on Tuesday (Oct. 16).
The two hikers were on a trail when they came into a clearing and encountered the mother grizzly and three cubs that appeared to be about two years old, Doyle said.
The sow and two of the cubs fled up a hill, but one of the cubs stayed behind and charged the two hikers, he said. It bit the man in the leg, Doyle said.
“Fortunately, when the bear bit into his leg, it was where the pepper spray was, and that blocked some of the bite,” Doyle said of the man, who then managed to pull out the spray and spray the animal in the face.
The bear was described as weighing about 200 pounds, Doyle said.
Doyle said that while the attack is not considered unusual behaviour for grizzly bears, officers attended the scene and posted signs warning other hikers of the danger. “It’s common for grizzlies to be seen in that area,” he said.
Meanwhile, officers shot and killed a young black bear after it was injured in a collision with a taxi van on Highway 99 near Whistler Village on Friday (Oct. 11). It was the eighth bear to die as a result of collisions with vehicles in Whistler this year.
The young bear was the sibling of Candy, the bear cub that stowed away on a garbage truck and wound up in Squamish last year.
“It was known to hang out near the (waste) transfer station. It was highly conditioned to garbage,” Doyle said of the bear that was struck.
Doyle also reported that bears have been frequenting Whistler Village of late, mostly at night. He said in more than one instance, crowds have gathered to gawk at the animals, putting themselves and the bears in danger.
“People aren’t always leaving when we ask them to leave, and sometimes they’re blocking the bears’ escape routes,” he said.
Those who see bears should remember that they’re wild animals and that they should maintain a safe distance and follow officers’ instructions. As well, Doyle reminded the public to keep attractants, including garbage, behind locked doors. To report a bear sighting, please call (604) 905-BEAR (2327) or 1-877-952-7277.
Seriously though, we did two hikes to Tenquil this summer, and two to cerulean, all four times I insisted on bringing a rifle (now that I can) and I got harassed and reamed out for it. Maybe this'll shake things up a little closer to home!
