North Vancouver hikers followed, swiped at by black bear
Posted May 21, 2021 4:44 pm.
Last Updated May 21, 2021 4:49 pm.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A group hiking in North Vancouver had a frightening encounter with a black bear Friday, and the trail they were on has been closed for 24 hours.
Five people were hiking on the St. Georges and Peer Gynt Trail, which connects the Upper Lonsdale Area to Mount Fromme, when they were met by an “aggressive” bear, according to the North Vancouver RCMP.
“[It was] lunging at them and that sort of thing,” explains Sgt. Peter DeVries.
“They did what they could to get away from the bear, and the bear was following them a little bit. In fact, the bear did take a swipe at one of the hikers and actually made contact with them but there was no serious injury. The person had a small scratch, but nothing that needed any medical attention. But certainly, a pretty scary situation.”
ALERT: We are responding to a call of a #bear on St. George's and Peer Gynt trail from the Upper Lonsdale area to Mt. Fromme in #NorthVan. Please be alert and stay clear from that area for now. For information on Bear safety, go to: https://t.co/yExszupv5o #bearaware pic.twitter.com/De9bjDII3s
— North Vancouver RCMP (@nvanrcmp) May 21, 2021
The hikers called 911, and North Vancouver RCMP officers escorted them off the trail. The BC Conservation Officers Service has been called in, and closed the trail as a precaution.
RELATED: Bear season on North Shore off to a busy start
DeVries says the incident serves as a warning for anyone considering a hike in the mountains this May long weekend.
“The bears have come out of hibernation. They’re out and about. It’s foreseeable that if you are hiking the North Shore you may encounter a bear,” he explains.
“We just want to advise people to make sure that they educate themselves on how to deal with those situations and take the proper precautions.”
The top three tips for anyone who sees a bear are to stay calm, speak at a normal volume, and slowly back away. While the instinct to scream or run away might kick in, those reactions can also startle the bear and trigger a chase, according to the North Shore Black Bear Society.
