A couple were killed by a grizzly bear during a multi-day hike in the Canadian wilderness. According to relatives, the two were experienced nature lovers.
Vancouver – A grizzly bear attacked and fatally injured a couple, according to Canadian media. The incident occurred on Friday evening (September 29th) in Canada’s oldest national park. The natural area is located in the western province of Alberta, where severe forest fires have occurred in recent weeks and months, along with other regions in Canada. The couple’s dog was also killed in the attack the Canadian news channel CBC reports.
Bear attack on hiker: search helicopter cannot take off due to weather conditions
“They were long-time partners who loved nature and were inseparable,” the station quoted a family member as saying. “They lived to be in the wilderness and were two of the most cautious people I know,” the relative continued. The victims knew the most important rules and therefore followed the common rules to protect themselves from bear attacks. A wilderness expert reported that the two hikers checked in with their family every evening. This was also the case on Friday, around 5 p.m. local time. “This shows that they did not migrate in the dark,” said the expert.
The Banff National Park park authority had already received a tip about a possible bear attack via a GPS device on Friday evening around 8 p.m., a spokesman for the national park wrote on Facebook on Sunday (October 1st). However, due to bad weather, no helicopter could take off. A team specially trained to deal with wild animal attacks was then mobilized and took the overland route to the Red Deer River Valley in Banff National Park. However, the help apparently came too late.
Bear attack on hiker: emergency team discovers corpses and encounters predator
The emergency team arrived at the scene of the accident around 1 a.m. (local time) and found two lifeless people there. The two hikers had died. Rescue workers also discovered a grizzly bear in the area that was behaving “aggressively,” according to park authorities. The predator was euthanized on site to protect the public. The two victims of the bear attack were taken away around 5 a.m., it is said. Following the tragic incident, parts of the national park were closed until further notice as a “precautionary measure” due to grizzly bears.
Fatal encounters with bears are rare
Fatal bear attacks on humans are extremely rare, the expert told CBC. Just 14 percent of collisions with bears worldwide result in death for humans. In spring 2023, a jogger in Italy was killed by a bear – the incident caused a stir worldwide. But the predators usually shy away from contact with people.
To protect yourself from attacks, you should do the following in the event of an encounter:
- Do not panic, but move calmly and calmly. Don’t run away.
- Show respect and keep your distance from the bear. Leave the animal alone and do not take any photos, otherwise it could feel threatened.
- Withdraw slowly and in a controlled manner.
- Also: Ideally take bear spray with you when hiking in the wilderness.
- And: It’s best to travel in a group.
Reason for fatal bear attack unclear – Untypical behavior
It is unclear how the attack came about. According to the expert, most bear attacks are the result of random and surprising encounters. The fact that bears specifically attack is rather untypical for wild animals. The expert suspects that the couple may have been looking for a place to camp at the time of the attack.
According to experts, bears are particularly active at dusk. They are also currently preparing for hibernation and are therefore hungrier than at other times of the year. “I hate to say it, but it wasn’t really surprising in my eyes,” one local told CBC, referring to the incident. Possible food sources such as berries and other fruits are rare in the region this year, the man said. The authorities expressed their condolences to the relatives for this tragic incident. (dpa/rku)
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