Bear attack prompts warning to carry spray, avoid certain trails

A surprise attack on two hikers over the weekend has prompted trail closures and warnings to keep bear spray on hand.

A bear dining on a moose carcasswas startled by a mother and her adult son hiking in PeterLougheedProvincial Park on Saturday afternoon. The bear came out of the bush to the trail and charged the man twice.

Much of the area, known as Central Spray Valley, remainedclosed to the public on Tuesday.

On the weekend, the woman tried to use her bear spray but "she fumbled a little bit," said John Paczkowski, Kananaskis Country parks ecologist with Alberta Parks.

The bear bit both her and her spray, puncturing the container and sending the animal running off, likely in some distress, he said.

"Carrying bear spray really probably saved them from serious injury or perhaps something worse," Paczkowski said on Tuesday.

Alberta Parks has closed the Spray Valley area in case the bear is still agitated and roaming around.

Specifically, these areas remain off limits: French Creek, Burstall Pass, Hogarth Lakes trails, Commonwealth Drainage, Tryst Lake, Chester Lake, Headwall Lakes, Sawmill trail system, the High Rockies Trail between Rummel Lake south to Black Prince. Changes to access will be posted on the Alberta Parks website.

Two-second rule

The ecologist said this was "a typical surprise encounter" and the bear will not be caught or captured. DNA material was collected in hopes of using forensics to identify the bear.

Each hiker is encouraged to carry a cannister of bear spray on their front and not on their backpack, he said. That way it can be reaching easily and quickly the so-called "two-second rule."

"If you're out there in bear country, you should be carrying bear spray," Paczkowski said. "And if you're not, you're just putting yourself in danger."

In the case on the weekend, the single can was enough to stop the attack and the pair were still able to get out of the bush and to hospital, he said.

'Worst-case scenario'

Hiker CurtisKwiatkowskichose to go toGrassiLakes Trail on Tuesday with his family, as the area is open, though under a bear warning.

He said he's teaching his kids to be bear safe by bringing an air horn to make noise and bear spray.

"You obviously know that they're out there and with berry season," Kwiatkowskisaid.

"We've known that there's definitely bear activity in this area so we just plan for worst-case scenario and that's having to use it."

• MORE ALBERTANEWS |Trans Mountain pipeline construction underway with feds footing the bill
• MORE ALBERTANEWS |Charge for parking in Banff National Park to cut down on vehicles, ex-superintendent suggests
• Read more articles byCBC Calgary, like us onFacebookfor updates and subscribe to ourCBC Calgary newsletterfor the day's news at a glance.

With files from Dave Gilson