Bear involved in attack in Maple Ridge caught
Posted July 6, 2016 10:53 pm.
Last Updated July 7, 2016 9:34 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MAPLE RIDGE (NEWS 1130) – A woman is hurt after she was attacked by a bear in Maple Ridge.
It happened around 8 p.m. Wednesday on 287th Street near Andersen Pacific Forest Products.
Carol Boutin with the Provincial Health Services Authority says the 69-year-old suffered cuts to her face. “BC Ambulance dispatched two ambulances, one advanced life support and one basic because they weren’t sure what they were going to find.”
However, she says it was a routine transfer, meaning the injuries weren’t serious. The woman was released from the hospital with only minor injuries.
“[She] saw three bear cubs on her property and walked out onto her deck to look at the cubs,” says Inspector Murray Smith with the BC Conservation Service. “At that point… a female black bear — the mother — ran over the woman on the deck, giving her a laceration on her face, as the bear ran off into the bushes with the cubs.”
“As of this morning, the sow bear has been caught and the cubs are up a tree,” he adds.
Murray says there’s no word yet on what will happen to the animals.
“The bears will be assessed by staff as to their health and a determination will be made as to the next step [as for] how these bears will be dealt with.”
Sergeant Conservation Officer Todd Hunter says everyone has a role to play in safety around the animals.
“We need everybody’s help. We have several officers [but] we can’t respond to every call. It is everybody’s responsibility to make sure the garbage and any food sources are… left outside.”
That’s what mainly attracts the bears.
Fines for repeat offenders can go over $500.
The attack in Maple Ridge is believed to have involved a mother bear with her cubs. Hunter says several animals have already been destroyed this season.
