A camper on Vancouver Island got the surprise of his life yesterday morning around 7 AM, when he awoke with a black bear inside his tent.
Jay Vinden, a 57-year old man from Sooke BC sustained serious injury to his skull in the attack near Taylor Flats.
The man was sleeping in a lean-to when the attack occurred. As the bear tore into the his scalp, Vinden screamed ‘bloody murder’ and his 47-year old friend Bruce Doyle came to his aid from a nearby tent.
After getting mauled himself, Doyle was able to reach for a knife and smack the bear on the snout, sending it fleeing back into the woods.
The only thing Vinden can recall was hearing a snort, then rolling over in his sleeping bag and being face-to-face with a black bear which was inches away by that point.
Both men were hospitalized with numerous claw marks, and Mr Vinden sustained serious injuries to his head requiring immediate attention.
Although the bear weighed only about 150-pounds, officials are considering it a predatory attack.
It is worth noting that black bears do not necessarily need to be big in order to be deadly.
The predatory bear that attacked and killed Olympic Biathlete Mary-beth Miller north of Quebec City back in 2000 weighed a scant 165 pounds.
Outdoorsguy
(This bear in Thunder Bay has already spent over two weeks with a plastic jar stuck to its head. MNR have been trying to locate the animal so they can tranquilize it and remove the jar)
Let me see if I understand this correctly. Some guy from the city is camping in a lean too in an area obviously inhabited by bears. The bear stumbles onto something strange in his back yard and he explores it in hopes of finding a meal only to discover that the strange item is occupied by something that, in his mind is a threat. The person obviously startles, which in turn startles the bear and the bear reacts and the person is injured. Add fuel to the fire when another person joins in and interferes with the scenario and he too gets swatted………Then the arm chair quarter backs deem this to be a “Mauling” and a “Predatory Attack”.
Give me a break !
Here’s a breakthrough people……………There are bears in the woods, if you’re not prepared to accept the consequences of their actions when you get in their space then stay in your condo…..
Trapper, I know what you’re saying..but I tend to agree that this was the act of a predatory bear. It’s not like the bear just happened upon the tent and was startled by the man while eating his girl guide cookies.
It is quite clear the bear was there to attack and kill the camper..call it what you want, but it is a predatory act!
Outdoorsguy
My response is awaiting moderation apparently.
Then there’s more to the story that hasn’t been reported.
Are you suggesting that this bear went out of his way to hunt for a person or a person in a tent ? If so how do we know that ?
I’d suggest that this bear stumbled onto this situation and reacted in the only way he/she knows how.
I suppose looking at the evidence they have..it was an considered an unprovoked attack…and no indication of any improperly stored food onsite…it seems pretty clear the bear was there to attack its ‘perceived’ prey.
And I would say the defenition of ‘mauling’ would be any bear attack on a human causing injury, would you not agree?
Outdoorsguy
what your saying trapper is everyone going in the woods should carry a gun, and if not, accept the consequences
I disagree, I’ve traipsed through the bush just about my whole life, most times without a gun, and I’ve always managed to come out in one piece. Most times when a bear smells humans, he heads in the opposite direction.
there is no way a bear could come across a guy in a lean-to sleeping and not smell humans. Under normal circumstances, this bear should have turned and hightailed it out of there before there was a confrontation
It didn’t, therefore I consider this a predatory bear
Iggy, but if the time does come when you, or your family and friends, are faced with an aggresive predatory bear and have nothing but your bare hands to protect yourself.
What then?
Outdoorsguy
That’s my point, it was provoked, unintentionally albeit but it was provoked. The guy’s startling was the provocation.
Had the guy been able to respond by laying still and doing nothing (and I’m not recommending this by any means) don’t you think the bear would have eventually learned that there was no food and walked away ?
If in fact the bear was considerring the man as a meal he/she would have been successful
QUOTE: Iggy says:
July 22, 2010 at 10:05 am
what your saying trapper is everyone going in the woods should carry a gun, and if not, accept the consequences
I disagree, I’ve traipsed through the bush just about my whole life, most times without a gun, and I’ve always managed to come out in one piece. Most times when a bear smells humans, he heads in the opposite direction.
there is no way a bear could come across a guy in a lean-to sleeping and not smell humans. Under normal circumstances, this bear should have turned and hightailed it out of there before there was a confrontation
It didn’t, therefore I consider this a predatory bear END QUOTE
Igster;
Re Gun comment: I’m not suggested that at all. What I am suggesting is that people who expose themselves to these scenarios need to be a little more bear wise.
I agree that the bear should have walked away when it smelled human but the story clearly indicates that it didn’t. Something drew the bear to this lads lean too but I suggest that that was left out of the story for reasons we all know….
Two B.C. men are in hospital after fighting off a bear who attacked them Wednesday morning during a camping trip on Vancouver Island.
A 57-year-old man was sleeping in a lean-to shelter around 7 a.m. in an area known as Taylor Flats at the west end of Sproat Lake, near Port Alberni, when a bear started clawing at him.
His 47-year-old companion, sleeping in a tent nearby, woke up and sprung into action when he heard the attack.
He was able to fend off the 150-pound animal.
“He was able to grab hold of the bear or just push it aside and get it off of his friend,” Sgt. Kevin Murray told ctvbc.ca.
Both men received extensive claw wounds. The older victim also sustained serious injuries to his skull.
The pair drove to hospital in Port Alberni, approximately 50 kilometres away, and alerted police. The 57-year-old was transported to Nanaimo for surgery.
Sgt. Murray said the men had seen the bear around their camp on the first day of their trip but they chose to stay.
“Most people would just leave,” he said.
“Some people are not deterred by bears but when you’re camping in an open air enclosure you’re taking a risk.”
Murray said the area is often frequented by bears. Authorities still don’t know what prompted the attack.
Officers with the B.C. Conservation Service and the RCMP planned to return to the campsite Wednesday afternoon.
Port Alberni, B.C. — The Canadian Press
Published on Wednesday, Jul. 21, 2010 4:28PM EDT
Last updated on Wednesday, Jul. 21, 2010 5:23PM EDT
Two campers have been wounded and one needs surgery after a bear attacked while they were sleeping in Port Alberni, B.C.
The 70-kilogram bear first mauled the 57-year-old man who was asleep in a lean-to shelter in a camping area near Sproat Lake on central Vancouver Island.
His 47-year-old friend was sleeping in a nearby tent and came to the rescue by fighting off the bear.
Both men have extensive claw wounds, but the older man also has injuries to his skull and was transported to hospital in Nanaimo for surgery.
RCMP say the men had been camping for several days in the secluded area and had run into the same bear around their campsite on the first day.
Sergeant Kevin Murray of the Port Alberni detachment says people visiting the back country need to be extra vigilant in protecting themselves and their campsites from such wildlife encounters.
It would appear that the BC Conservation Officer Service agrees with you IG…
I just think we’re always too quick to blame the bear.
Black bear attacks sleeping camper
A 47-year-old man fought off a black bear as it attacked his friend early Wednesday in their campsite at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni.
By Vancouver Sun July 22, 2010 Be the first to post a comment
A 47-year-old man fought off a black bear as it attacked his friend early Wednesday in their campsite at Sproat Lake near Port Alberni.
The men, both from Sooke, were badly clawed; one was sent to hospital in Nanaimo for treatment of head wounds.
The two friends, 47-year-old Bruce Doyle and 57-year-old Jay Vinden, were camping at the lake at an area known as Taylor Flats when a black bear attacked Vinden about 7:30 a.m. Vinden was sleeping in a lean-to, while Doyle was nearby in a tent.
Doyle was awakened by Vinden’s screams and was able to pull the bear off his friend. Doyle said he “just picked it up and flung it.”
He said the bear was small, “probably just a yearling.”
Vinden heard a snort as he was sleeping and rolled over to see the bear inches from his face, he told A News.
“I could feel his breath,” Vinden, a burly man with a handlebar moustache, said from his hospital bed. He said the bear pinned him down with its front paws and started to go after his head.
“I just started to scream bloody murder, and thankfully Bruce came out of his tent and pulled the bear off.”
Vinden said that gave him a chance to reach for his knife, which he used to rap the bear on the snout and send it fleeing.
Doyle then drove them to West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni, where he was treated and released. Vinden had to be transferred to Nanaimo for more treatment on his scalp, including plastic surgery.
Vancouver Island Health Authority spokeswoman Shannon Marshall said Vinden is in stable condition at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. Along with head wounds, he received puncture wounds to his side, back and knees.
B.C. Bear Smart Society executive director Crystal McMillan said Wednesday’s attack and a 2008 attack in Port Renfrew are the only two of such severity ever recorded on Vancouver Island. In the Port Renfrew incident, a black bear went after a fisherman, attacking while the man was on his boat.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said the bear will likely be destroyed if it’s found, due to the predatory, non-defensive nature of the attack.
I disagree that it was provoked in any way…I mean, the guy heard grunts, rolled over and the bruin was ‘inches’ from his face! What do think it was doing there that close..what about any natural fear of human scent? Mr Vinden’s scent would have been all over that lean-to.
It seems quite clear the bear was there to attack (and hopefully) kill Mr Vinden…whom the bear perceived as one heck of a good meal.
This sort of predatory behaviour does occur…and we know the black bear to be an opportunist omnivore..it saw an opportunity for a good meal and went for it…the bear just didn’t expect his prey to wake up and fight back so much!
Outdoorsguy
Much like the unprovoked attack on a plastic jar in Thunder Bay (as seen in the new photo above)
That jar wasn’t out to hurt anyone and never asked to be treated in that way!
Outdoorsguy
We’ll have to agree to disagree I guess. I still think we are always too quick to blame the animal.
Weren’t they here first ?
By the way, British researchers this week concluded – after extensive studies – that the Chicken most certainly did come before the egg!
Which probably means that humans came before bears…hehe
Outdoorsguy
QUOTE: jeff.morrison says:
July 22, 2010 at 10:43 am
Much like the unprovoked attack on a plastic jar in Thunder Bay (as seen in the new photo above)
That jar wasn’t out to hurt anyone and never asked to be treated in that way! END QUOTE
A bucket stuck on a bears head doesn’t substantiate a belief that he’s a threat to society, it just goes to prove to what extent they will go to in order to get food.
Yes Trapper, and if it wasn’t so sad it would actually be quite funny!
Outdoorsguy
it is sad, it would be nice to find a way to get that thing off before the bear starves to death.
Be a good story to follow up.
Lots of interesting comments to this in the Thunder Bay news article (follow the link from OHL).
I agree that this bear will be very difficult to quarantine so that it can be tranquilized. Someone will have to be at the right place at the right time which can be very expensive…….
QUOTE: jeff.morrison says:
July 22, 2010 at 11:11 am
Yes Trapper, and if it wasn’t so sad it would actually be quite funny!
Outdoorsguy QUOTE
You have to post the picture of whinnie the pooh with his head stuck in the honey jar…I tried to but apparently we cannot post pics here.
Trapper, if you mean the bear from Thunder Bay, the photo was posted above?
Outdoorsguy
My wife asked me two weeks ago before a week-long trip along the Mattawa river how to properly protect ourselves from bears. Here was my response: you can’t. I sleep with my knife and a throwing axe. We have two dogs that will alert us. Should we tie our food up in a tree? I like the answer to that from a well-known canoe writer Hap Wilson: I prefer the bear eats my food first rather than to play with a pignata or sniff my tent (not a direct quote). What about bear spray? Sure, if the bear manages to get within the spray range, at which point I’d rather have my knife in one hand and the axe in the other. What are your opinions, suggestions on the subject?
GPG, I’m with you!
Call me paranoid, but when we’re camped in bear country during the trout season..a loaded 303 is stored under the sleeping bag cot at night…If/when the time ever does come, I want to be prepared and ready!
Sure, chances are it will probably never happen..but I’d hate to watch a loved one get attacked and killed knowing I could have possibly done something to help!
Outdoorsguy
Besides that, I have some family members who sleep with ear plugs in the tent…good
for drowning out the snorers..but bad if something should sneak up on you!
Outdoorsguy
Who in there right mind would go and sleep in a tent in the forrest in BC….really?
I might be chicken but I aint stupid either. I prefer watching the Survivor Man in action when he wakes up at night scared bcause of some noise heheh
GPG, I’m no expert but when the time comes that I am confronted by a bear that is getting too close for comfort (which is rare) I will attempt to remain very calm and present myself to be as large as possible and make a contolled/loud noise. All in an attempt to fool the bear that you are a) not intimidated by him/her and b) a larger threat to the bear.
Bears do not want to interact with humans and they will tell you this with a few indicators.
1) They will start to chomp their teeth and smacking their lips. If you hear this, stop and back away slowly while facing the bear making yourself appear as large as possible. DO NOT RUN.
2) In cadence with the lip smacking a bear will raise their front shoulders slightly then stomp on the ground with their front paws and give a saliva spraying snort. This means “get out of my way”.
People often mistake this for a charge or that the bear is running after them. They aren’t.
I agree that it will be difficult to control yourself and maintain composure and not soil yourself at this stage.
Comply with the commands and you will survive.
As for the food in the tree, you raise a good point. Once a bear latches onto the food source, very seldom will they remain there to eat it. They will usually take the parcel and relocate it to an area where they feel safe. Hanging it in a tree will not prevent the problem but rather prolong it.
CONCERNED CITIZEN:
At least you admit it. Many people I like to call ‘citiots’ can’t and think that if survivor man can so can I.
do what trapper said, make yourself look as big as possible, make noise, not to startle but to scare, and back off. BTW, I’ve had the opportunity to pepperspray a bear that was not afraid of us on a fly in fishing trip near White River Ontario. The can surprised me and shot about 18 to 20 yards and the bear was not impressed, although it didn’t run, it turned and went the other way. We watched it for a while as it lay on the ground rubbing it’s eyes and nose. didn’t see it around camp again.
Before using the pepperspray, we had found some of those old firecrackers that we used to play with as kids, some Americans had left them on a previous trip, you could light the wick and set them all off, rat-a-tat-tat-tat, you know the ones I mean. I think they were called Cherrybombs. Well we set off two packages and threw them at Yogi and he didn’t move, it didn’t faze him one bit
There may be a big break in the story about the bear who got his head caught in a pickle jar.
More to the point, there may have been a break from the jar, itself.
A conservation officer at the Ministry of Natural Resources in Thunder Bay, Ont., thinks a guy may have found the pickle jar that was stuck on the head of an adolescent bear — a wilderness incident that has garnered international media attention.
Iggy, so the fire-cracker method eh..I like that actually.
Outdoorsguy
Would you guys know if those little air horn (air can and a flute) that they sell at Crappy Tire or other retail would make enough noise to scare a bear away?
It would be easier to purchase then pepperspray or owning a gun
go to LeBaron, buy a can of bear spray, easy as that
but Jeff, the firecrackers didn’t do anything, the bear just watched, and they were thrown about two feet from it
off to the cottage…..right now 🙂
Sorry Iggy….I meant, I like the idea of firecrackers as a bear detterant…too bad they dont seem to work.
Outdoorsguy
All very good ideas. I have asked myself at times whether we are placing ourselves and our kids in unecessary danger with our canoe trips. Whenever possible, we camp on islands both for proctection of critters and insects. But sometimes, we must stay on land. I tell myself the chances of meeting a bear at camp are as great if not more than winning the lottery, and even greater of being attacked. But, the chance is still there. Then I think of all other dangerous situations we place ourselves in every day, like riding in a car, riding a bike, even walking on a sidewalk, getting in an elevator, etc. I say live life at its fullest. Take precautions for your safety, but get out there and enjoy nature!
Lots of info here: http://www.bearsmart.com/becoming-bear-smart/home/bear-deterrents
Thanks Trapper for the bear link..we should get you into the MNR’s Bear Wise program…only thing is, you’d have to stop recommending a firearm as protection…they dont like that!
Outdoorsguy
Bring back the spring hunt for starters.Bears are becoming more and more bold around humans.They are losing there fear.Not the total answer but a start.As more and more people head out camping and more and more bears look for an easy meal there is bound to be confrontation.Most of the time it will involve an adolesent bear that is an opportunist and smells food.To them we are just what stands between them and a meal.And with no teaching from mom to avoid us as much as possible,we now have a problem
I was talking to a buddy last week and he camps in calabogie area. apparently theyve closed the dump near them and this summer they been bothered by 3 or 4 bears that will just right into camp while people are sitting there. he phoned the ministry and all they said was dont feed them thanks and goodbye. there beside themselves in what to do with these bears and worried about the kids mostly. the bears cannot be hungry this summer around here, i’ve never seen such a bumper crop of berries as this summer. do we take a risk by being in the outdoors sure we do not just because of bears but if your canoeing you could drown. if your hiking you could break a leg a die of exposure etc… man i drive the Queensway everyday talk about risk. as GPG says live life to the fullest, exptect the best but be prepared for the worst.
McDan, of course driving to work is wayyyy more dangerous than any situation we’d encounter in the woods…and like you say, exprect the best but be prepared for the worst…I like that.
Outdoorsguy
I don’t believe I suggested such a defence Jeff.
Someone mentioned bringing a firearm, I thought it was you Trapper, sorry about that.
I do know that one time in an article I suggested bringing a firearm along on a fishing trip, and it got me in trouble
with the Bear Wise law enforcement people in Peterborough…even if it was technically legal to do so..
Outdoorsguy
should be able to take a firearm any time as long as it is stored or transported right … even in perterborough
You are correct chessy
outdoorsguy …. You don’t seem to have all the facts and I believe you are incorrect when you say that the bear might have been provoked. This was clearly a predatory attack. If you read news reports from Port Alberni soon after the attack they state that after the initial attack when the men were bandaging up their wounds the Bear came back and was driven off a second time as per this news story by the Alberni valley Times. http://www2.canada.com/albernivalleytimes/story.html?id=8a7054f4-63ff-4be6-bc2c-e4e1d137221b
I think its clear that these two guys shouldn’t have set up camp where they did. More than once before the attack they saw that bear hanging around their camp. They should have shown a lot more caution than they did.
Roger, I assume that Sgt. Kevin Murray of the RCMP is a relative of yours…brother, uncle, father perhaps?
I get the feeling from the article you sent that Sgt. Murray believes the attack could have been prevented, and that these campers brought it on themselves?
Just wondering…
Outdoorsguy
Roger, thanks for comment and for the extra info., but did I ever say the bear had been provoked in this situation?
And did I say it was not a predatory attack?? In fact, I was of the feeling that this was most certainly a predatory attack.
If you read back over my comments on the attack at the time based on the evidence presented, it seemed quite clear to me this was a predatory attack:
“I suppose looking at the evidence they have..it was an considered an unprovoked attack…and no indication of any improperly stored food onsite…it seems pretty clear the bear was there to attack its ‘perceived’ prey.”
As far as trying to avoid this bear, its only common sense not to set up camp in an area where a rogue bear has been spotted, but does that mean these guys deserved to be attacked?
Outdoorsguy
It has been heard that they were fishing and camping. smelling like fish..
..and bears really love fish too, trap!
If you dont mind me asking, did you read that somewhere or do you actually know them?
Regards,
Outdoorsguy
Jeff My bad I didn’t read your comments correctly sorry.
As for do I know the sergeant? No I never heard of him before.
Any opinion in my post is just my own opinion. I have lived and camped in bear country all my life. Before crawling into the sack at night If the area is remote and it won’t disturb other campers I like to bang off a couple of shots into the air to let any bruins or other wildlife know that I am a mean dude and have a gun with me. I Don’t know if it makes a difference but I have never had bear trouble. I always used to carry a 30/30 winchester with me when fishing in bear country. I lived in the Queen Charlottes in the 1960s and sometimes you had to bang off a shot in the air just to get the black bears to give you room to cast.
Someone mentioned that they may have gone to bed smelling like fish. I don’t know if they did or not but it is a good point. I have to admit that on more than one occasion I have crawled into my sleeping bag after a long hard day on the water and I probably smelled a bit like a salmonoid.
When we were kids we hiked all over the high country streams and lakes fishing our little hearts out, often for several days at a time. We slept in one man pup tents. We took no change of cloths with us so by the time we got home, quite frankly we stunk up the place. I attribute the fact that we very seldom even saw a bear to the reason that we all packed rifles mostly 22’s but also a 30/30 with us and like most young boys we banged off lots of 22 ammo all day long so that any bear with any sense at all would have avoided us.
Now however I am older and do all my camping in a motorhome with a bed, furnace, Electricity, bathroom and running water.
LOL
Hey Roger, good to hear from you again. I had a feeling you might have read that incorrectly.
I suppose Im a bit like you in that most of my ‘camping’ is done within the protective confines of a trailer..although I do still tent for 5 days each spring in NW Quebec with my father and brother-in-law’s in the heart of QC bear country , so we are always aware of that fact and do take precautions.
Ive never tried the ‘warning shot’ idea though..but its not a bad one!
Regards
Outdoorsguy
The Woman Mary-Beth Miller was my aunt..
Have These Sorts of Areas always had problems like these?
Lucy, I’m so sorry, the loss of your Aunt was a terrible tragedy and a day I remember very well…my wife and I are both originally from QC.
What was astounding by the attack on your aunt was the small size of the bear involved..most maulings of this nature are from much larger male bears. From what I recall, your aunt was listening to an iPod or walkman at the time and was taken completely off guard.
To tell you the truth Lucy, bear country always has the potential to be dangerous, yet fatal attacks are still extremely rare…I only know of about 5 deaths from bear attacks in QC in recent recorded history including Mary-Beth’s.
Losing such a vibrant woman in the prime of her life as your Aunt was a terrible loss…my heart goes out to you and your family.
Regards,
Jeff Morrison
(The Outdoors Guy)
Hi Jeff:
I am writing a article and wondering what are your thoughts on recent bear attacks in B.C.? I have been an avid outdoors person and all my encounters with bears and cubs have always been good outcomes. Common sense often dictated course of action which respected the unpredictable nature of bears and no surprise by each party…but maulings and attacks as presented by recent mainstream media seem to think its a re-occurring or prevalent problem.
Don’t get me wrong Bears will take the path of least resistance when he has a taste for human food or garbage…and I understand such “problem bears” can be viewed as a public safety concern and destroyed as any wildlife threat to humans that come into conflict….I think I want to write an article that for as many bears there are in B.C. the majority are not as conflictual in the maulings or those killed by a blk or grizzly bear….Just thought I would get your thoughts prior to writing and if I can, I will let you preview what I have written should I quote you. thank you.
Sincerely,
Larry Norman
Hello Mr. Norman, thanks for your message.
Yes, there certainly have been a number of recent attacks in the west. The 72-year old Lillooet woman has just been confirmed as being killed by at least one black bear, and another man survived a grizzly attack in BC’s central coast. I also read about another serious black bear attack in Arizona and of course, a 57-year old man was fatally attacked and a woman injured in Yellowstone earlier this week.
Although the number of recent bear maulings might indicate a ‘trend’ or some sort of rise in negative bear encounters, this time of year typically sees an increased number of grizzly and black bear maulings. From spring to late summer is the ‘high season’ for bear attacks, if you look at the statistics, and there are lots of stats out there to pore over.
As you mentioned, however, the majority of bear encounters in BC and across North America for that matter, do not end in an attack. Yes, there are a number of attacks each year some of which could have been avoided, while most in my opinion are simply unavoidable.
The 57-year man killed in Yellowstone this week by a mother grizzly with cubs is -contrary to popular belief, an extremely rare occurrence. Although sow bear attacks do occur, most if any are ever fatal. Mother bears are usually more intent on scaring you away or sending out a message not to mess with her and her young.
Male bears, on the other hand, carry with them a different intent and therefore are more of a danger in my opinion. Predatory bear attacks are the most common ‘fatal attack’ and occur with both black bears and brown bears(grizzly). Some have suggested that the ‘smaller salmon runs’ may be the root of some western attacks, while we always hear the story of ‘a poor berry crop this year’ as the root of many black bear encounters in the east.
The truth of the matter is that some bears, especially those in more remote areas, do occasionally target humans as their prey and when that happens you had better watch out. All the best camping and food storage techniques in the world will not protect you in bear country with a predatory male bear in the vicinity.
Take myself for example, I have been hunting and fishing in bear country for more than 30 years and though I have seen many bears in the wild, all but one went the other way immediately. I did have one male bear charge me in QC years ago, when there was no reason for it. He was not pressured or cornered and had plenty of room for escape, but he instead choose to run straight at me. In all likelihood, it will never happen again. I am statistically a lot more likely to be injured driving to work in the morning.
So, to answer your question about bear attacks on the rise, yes in some regions there tends to be more than others, and some years we see more incidents than other years. The year 2005, for example, was a record-setting year for bear attacks in NA and I can recall writing many articles on the subject at the time; putting forth a host of theories as to why so many people were getting mauled. In some cases bear numbers were on the increase, but really there was no hard and fast rule to explain the high numbers of deaths that year.
Ursus, as we all know, are top-level predators and omnivores with a voracious appetite. As long as we travel and spend time in bear country, there will forever be attacks and unfortunately fatal maulings.
The best we can do, if we wish to continue travelling and spending time in bear country, is to educate ourselves and be prepared for it.
Larry, I wish you luck with your article and invite you to post it here at the Outdoors Guy Blog.
Best regards,
Outdoorsguy
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