2 hikers injured in Kananaskis bear attack

Two hikers were injured this weekend in KananaskisCountry after surprising abear that was dining on a moose carcass in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.

"This was a classic defensive attack and it could have been so much worse," said Alberta Parks conservation officer NickDykshoorn. "The injuries were serious but certainly not life-threatening in any way."

Dykshoornsaid the hikers identified only as a Calgary woman and her adult son were hiking on a lesser-used trailnear the Burstall Pass day-use area on Saturday afternoonwhen thebear came out of the bush just three metres from the pair.

The bear knocked the man to the ground and started heading toward the woman, who was pulling out her bear spray, but dropped it.

"When she picked it up to spray the bear, the bearbit at her hand and actually bit into the canister deploying the spray into the bear's face," Dykshoorn said.

The man sufferedwounds to his head, face and arms, while the woman suffered puncture wounds to her hand and some minor scratches. The two were able to get themselves out of the park.

"They are in surprisingly good spirits in the hospital,"Dykshoornsaid. "They will be telling that one for a while."

Large portion of park closed

Parks staff closed alarge section of the Central Spray Valley after the attack.Dykshoornsaid the reason is to give the bear, which is likely under a great deal of stress after the encounter, time to recover.

"It did get a full deployment in the face of bear spray, which could have effects for some time andcould add stress to that bear," he said.

The closure affects French Creek, Burstall Pass and the Sawmill trail system south to Black Prince and the surrounding area.

The closure will remain in effect until parks staff deem the risk to be "minimal to none" after the incident.

Conservation officers collected DNA to try to determine whether it was a black bear or a grizzly that attacked the hikers, although Dykshoornsuspects the animal was a grizzly.

The hikers were doing everything right,Dykshoornsaid, bycarrying bear spray, walking in a group and making noise. Although, they weren't making much noise right before the encounter.

"One thing we're trying to stress topeople to is each person carries a can of bear spray in the event one person actually gets knocked down who has the bear spray," he said. "Yourodds are much better if everyone is carrying it."

Conservation staff aren't taking any action against the bear, aside from giving it some space. Conservation officersare asking, however, that every large carnivore sighting be reported to parks staff.

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