Bear that charged woman in Maple Ridge will not be destroyed

A black bear that charged a woman outside her home in the Vancouver suburb of Maple Ridge on Wednesday night won't be destroyed, according to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.

Inspector Murray Smith says the sow was simply trying to protect her three cubs and does not have an aggressive history.

The bears, which were captured this morning, will be tagged and released within their home range, but separated from the neighbourhood by "a significant body of water," said Smith.

The encounter happened around 8 p.m. when the 69-year-old woman ran into three black bear cubs outside her home on 287 Street near the intersection at Dewdney Trunk Road.

A moment later,she was surprised by the sow that charged across her deck and "ran her down," said Smith.

The woman was taken to hospital to be treated for a superficial cut on her face, while the bears ran off into the nearby woods.

Conservation officers spent the night searching for the bears and on Thursday morning confirmed the sow had been caught in a trap and the three cubs were up a nearby tree.

Smith said the woman, whose name has not been released, said the bears had been around her property for about a month, and she suspected they may have a den somewhere nearby in the heavily forested area.

He said it did not appear the woman had been feeding the bears and described the encounter as "simply bad luck."