Girl, 8, attacked by bear at Whiteshell Provincial Park

An eight-year-old girl had her face scratched by a black bear at a remote campsite in WhiteshellProvincial Park, the province says.

The incident happened on Saturday at a campsiteon South Cross Lake.

The bear swiped the tent, cutting the girl's face. Thenit attempted to get the family's food barrel, which was hanging from a nearby tree.

The child's father managed to scare the bear away from the campsite, allowing the family to alert other campers, then get in their canoe and escape.

The girlwas treated in hospital and sent home; she's OK, according to the release.

Conservation officers are trying to locate the bear. It was last seen swimming away toward Caddy Lake.

Earlier this month, a Winnipeg man was bitten by a black bear along theMantario trail, much of which is in WhiteshellProvincial Park.

Though about 30 kilometres separate the two attacks, wildlife experts believe it is unlikely the same bear is involved.

Bear safety tips

Janine Stewart, a wildlife conflict biologist with the province of Manitoba, said the best way to avoid encounters with bears is to properly store "attractants" things like food, garbage, toiletries or even the clothes you cooked in that might smell tasty.

"Black bears are very motivated by their stomach and led by their nose," she said."It tends to be anything that smells like food that can lead black bears into trouble with people."

She recommends getting your hands onwildlife-resistant containers for storage.

Stewart said it doesn't appear bear sightings are spiking in Manitoba this season, but she added that sightings generally increase in August, when bears' appetites skyrocket.

If you're in the wilderness, she recommends travelling in groups and making lots of noise so bears will avoid you. If you have a dog, keep it on a leash and under control, she added.