A woman has survived a bear attack while she was out hiking on Saturday night in the Squamish neighbourhood of Garibaldi Highlands.
The BC Conservation Officer Service said the incident occurred at around 7 p.m. in Coho Park, a rainforested area north of Squamish that is popular with hikers and bikers. The woman was crossing a trestle bridge on the Coho Trail when she came across the black bear. She tried to avoid it by jumping down to one side of the bridge, but the bear followed her and swatted her.
According to the BCCOS, the woman was able to find a piece of lumber to defend herself, before a passing cyclist jumped in to help her. At this point, the bear backed off but continued to follow the pair.
The woman was not seriously hurt in the attack. Crews from BCCOS as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been searching for the bear since the attack, and the park remains closed as efforts to locate the bear continue.
Bear attacks are rare, but they do happen and can lead to serious injuries or even death.
There were 23 fatal black bear attacks in the US between 2000–2016 and there have been 180 fatal bear attacks in North America since 1784.
If you are hiking in bear country, always carry bear spray, a bear horn and stay bear aware. Should you encounter a bear, resist the urge to run, maintain eye contact and back away slowly. If a bear attacks, be prepared to fight back using stones, trekking poles and whatever else you have available.
Learn more about what to do if you meet a bear.
