Bear killed after attacking man walking on Metro Vancouver trail with dog

MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. — British Columbia conservation officers say a man was injured earlier this week when he was attacked by a black bear while he was walking his dog on a Metro Vancouver trail.

The Conservation Officer Service says in a Facebook post that the incident happened on Wednesday at around 2:30 p.m., when the bear engaged the off-leash dog on a trail near 240th Street in Maple Ridge, B.C.

The statement says the man was then able to gain control of the dog and was trying to leave when the bear “re-engaged.”

Officers say the man fought back against the bear, and a group of anglers who were nearby came to help in fending off the bear — which was killed in the incident.

Conservation officers did not specify how the bear was killed.

The statement says the man was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, while a necropsy is being conducted on the dead bear to see if there were any factors that caused it to behave the way it did during the attack.

Officers also say that an examination of the scene of the attack determined that the bear was killed in self-defence, and no enforcement action will be forthcoming stemming from the incident.

The Conservation Officer Service says people should remain vigilant despite winter approaching, as bears are still active in several areas due to both milder temperatures and the presence of attractants such as garbage.

According to the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, black bears account for up to 25,000 calls to provincial conservation officers every year and “can become more assertive or destructive when they have learned to associate humans and their activities with food.”

British Columbia has among the highest population of black bears in the world, with the foundation estimating up to 150,000 animals living in the province.

The foundation says people can better prevent encounters with black bears by talking and singing to avoid surprising an animal, managing attractants such as garbage, keeping pets leashed and carrying bear spray.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2024.

The Canadian Press