Conservation officers killed the bear that attacked a Willowbrook resident last week. The woman’s dog saved her life. Photo by Lyonel Doherty
If it was up to Sgt. Jim Beck of the local conservation office, one particular dog in Willowbrook would be getting a big, juicy steak right now.
That’s because the dog saved the life of its owner during a recent bear attack.
Beck said a woman was walking her dog in a park area off Johnson Crescent on August 5 when a black bear attacked her from behind. The resident suffered bite marks and a crushing injury to her arm.
But her little dog challenged the bear just enough to prompt the bruin to cease its attack, giving the woman time to flee the area, Beck said.
“It (the dog) should get a steak (for that),” the officer said, noting he believes the bear would have caused some serious damage if it wasn’t distracted.
Beck said the bear appeared to be in “predatory” mode because it was not surprised by the woman, and there were no cubs involved. There was no food cache in the area, either, and the victim was walking in a wide open area, the officer noted.
“This was a very aggressive black bear . . . it was quite concerning to us.”
Beck said predatory attacks by black bears are uncommon because these animals are normally placid and don’t want anything to do with humans. But they will, from time to time, hunt game such as deer, however, they are not very efficient at it, the officer pointed out.
Beck said a black bear was predatory in nature when it killed a woman in the east Kootenays three or four years ago.
Following the attack in Willowbrook, conservation officers set live traps for the bear, but this method was unsuccessful.
After an extensive hunt the following day, officers made contact with the bruin and euthanized it. They were quite confident it was the same bear based on the victim’s description, he noted. In addition, the bear tracks at the attack site appeared to match that of the bruin that was killed.
Beck said because of the bear’s predatory nature, they chose not to relocate it.
Barb Leslie, inspector of conservation operations, said the hot, dry weather is prompting bears to seek greener areas for their food source, such as huckleberry or chokecherry.
She advises residents to lock up their garbage, don’t leave dog food out, and ensure their barbecues are clean of leftover food bits.
The inspector said people who suspect that bears might be in the area should probably not go hiking there.
“When people are out walking, hiking or riding, they need to make sure they have a good line of sight and make lots of noise.”
Leslie said people really need to be aware of their surroundings. If they see a bear, they should slowly back away. If a bear confronts you, make yourself as big and loud as possible, she advised. And if worst comes to worse, put up a fight.
The inspector acknowledged that people have a strong attachment to their dogs, but she noted that many people get injured trying to rescue their pets from bears.
In this case, the victim did the right thing.
Beck said a lot of people say they are not afraid of bears, but you have to treat these animals with respect because they are unpredictable.
The officer said there was a report of a dog that suffered a serious bite wound
from a suspected bear in the Willowbrook area (prior to the attack on the woman).
By Lyonel Doherty
