Encounters With Bears in British Columbia

This bear cub was orphaned after conservation officers shot and killed its mom on Aug. 13, 2016 in Port Coquitlam. A 10-year-old girl was mauled by the cub’s mother and is in critical condition. The attack happened on a popular trail near Shaughnessy Street and Lincoln Avenue on Aug. 13, 2016. The cub was taken to Critter Care Wildlife Society in Langley. PNG

"I understand the integral part was (that) the grandpa and the father were very aggressive with the bear and that seemed to back the bear off, to allow the child to be scooped up and taken to the hospital."
"An officer attended and interviewed the family and the girl was in fairly good spirits and seemed to be on the road to recovery."
"I can only think it was very unfortunate luck on the part of this family. It could have happened to any of us. They just happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time."
"Being attacked by a black bear is about on the level of being hit by lightning. It’s very rare, but it happens. And we have to all consider that when we venture out into the forest."
"We’re long past the time where we need to hold people’s hands about looking after their attractants.  Everybody’s got to do their part [removing waste and garbage, attracting wildlife]."
"We don’t want people like this little girl being hurt because bears have been attracted to our community."
Murray Smith, B.C. Conservation Officer Service

"I'm hoping a $500 fine makes people realize public safety and animal safety is very important."
"This is sad on so many levels. A child is in hospital and a mother bear had to be put down. This is the worst possible scenario."
Teri Towner, acting mayor, Coquitlam, B.C.

"From West Vancouver to Pitt Meadows, it's always problematic."
"It's hard to know in this case, but my guess would be that the child quite unknowingly found herself between the mother and the cub. Mother bears are very intolerant of that."
"It's no surprise bears are in the area anticipating this [discovery of discarded food items]. Most bears don't want to have anything to do with humans. [When cubs are being weaned it's critical to find enough food, so there will be a big push by the mother to locate food sources easily palatable to the cubs."
Wayne Goodey, zoology lecturer, University of British Columbia

A ten year old girl had been swimming in the Coquitlam river and was returning home along with her father and grandfather. The adults suddenly saw the girl attacked by a bear. She was mauled and dragged across the trail in front of them. Alongside the female bear was a cub. The little girl had a punctured lung from the violent encounter, as well as broken ribs and slashes on her body and was immediately hospitalized.

Conservation officers tranquilized this black bear cub on Saturday, August 13, 2016 after its mother attacked a 10-year-old girl. The cub to be placed in a rehabilitation centre and released into the wild in 2017. (Bill Cook)

The mother bear refused all attempts to persuade her to leave the area, and conservation staff had no option but to destroy the bear, and take its cub to a shelter. "He's in pretty good shape. Obviously he was scared and confused" said Angela Fontana of the Critter Care Wildlife Society, speaking of the little bear that was so obviously agitated on arrival. The facility is looking after four other bears, and the cub is slated to be released to their company in several days' time.

After the attack a large pile of garbage located close to the trailhead where the attack occurred was cleared away by city of Coquitlam parks staff. As far as Inspector Murray Smith was concerned it was just that pileup of human refuse that had attracted the mother bear, preparing to wean her cub. For people living as close to nature as Canadians do almost anywhere in the country, and all the more so in British Columbia and Alberta, it is surprising that it hasn't become second nature for all trail walkers to remove their trash.

Discarded sandwiches and leftover food left carelessly by nature trails and other wilderness areas are natural attractants for wildlife. With their acute sense of small, animals are able to detect the availability of food when the whiff of trash tingles their nostrils, and they follow the scent. Enter any conservation area or wildlife preserve, provincial or federal park, and there are notices reminding people to take out whatever they take in with them. In some areas where fees are charged for entry and camping, garbage bags meant to hold discarded food and other detritus are given out to campers.

It is rarely the irresponsible people who leave their trash behind who suffer the consequences of their careless disregard for necessary cautionary actions to protect both people and wildlife.