A Black Bear That 'Charged' & Bit A Woman Who Was Walking In BC Just Got 'Put Down'

A woman near Pemberton, B.C. was attacked by a black bear on Monday, and The Conservation Officer Service Predator Attack Team was deployed to the area. The team "put down" the bear, after determining it had charged other people and was behind another attack on Sunday.

The woman was walking in a popular area called the Riverside Wetlands trail at about 9:30 a.m., when "she was charged and bitten by a bear," the Conservation Officer Service said in a statement on social media.

The woman's injuries required medical treatment, and the trail was closed to the public as officials investigated the attack. People were asked to stay away from the area.

The Conservation Officer Service released an update to Facebook on Tuesday and said that The Conservation Officer Service Predator Attack Team "put down one black bear."

During the investigation, they took descriptions of the bear from witnesses and the victim of the attack and used evidence to determine that it was the correct bear. The update said that officials are "confident" that it was the bear involved in the attack on Monday.

The investigation also found that the bear was also behind "a delayed report of a similar attack on Sunday, as well as numerous incidents of charging people."

It added that because of the public safety risk, "the bear was not a candidate for rehabilitation or relocation."

Two young bears were also found in the area but were left alone. The trail is now re-opened to the public.

The Conservation Officer Service added that in both of the attacks in the area, there were dogs that were off-leash.

"It is not unusual for bears to be provoked by dogs running ahead along a trail or in the backcountry, which can increase the risk of an attack on a person," they said.

They added that it is illegal, under the Wildlife Act, to allow dogs to chase wildlife. While going out into areas that may have bears, they encouraged people to keep their pets on leashes, have bear spray, and go in groups.