Bear mauls girl in Port Coquitlam, Report

A 10-year-old girl is in hospital with serious injuries after being mauled by a bear in Port Coquitlam, Saturday.

The mauling around 5 p.m. on Saturday by a sow with a cub by her side happened along a trail near Shaughnessy Street and Lincoln Avenue in Port Coquitlam.

According to Inspector Murray Smith of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, the girl was hiking with her father. Smith said the father was not injured but has yet to be interviewed as he remains at the hospital by his daughter’s side.

“There were some significant injuries,” Smith said of the girl’s injuries.

The service declined to release the name of the girl and her father.

Smith said officers spent the day along the Coquitlam nature trail trying to determine why the bear and her cub were in the area.

He said they believe a large pile of garbage dumped beside a garbage can at the trailhead may have been what brought the animals to the busy recreational area.

“A bear got into that garbage,” he said. “And that garbage has probably kept the bears in that area.”

He said a review of complaints received about the area turned up no indications that the mother and cub had been reported as problem bears.

The mother bear was killed by conservation officers shortly after the attack, and the cub was caught and taken to Critter Care in Surrey.

Smith warned people walking the trail to avoid carrying garbage or overripe fruit, as the bears can smell it from a long way off.

“The bears have a great sense of smell. The bears come down and get into the garbage that is left out or the fruit trees.”

Mary Dale Esposito was out walking her dogs on Sunday and said they do see bears along the river. “If we see one we turn and walk the other way,” she said. “We also tell others about the bear sightings.”

In hopes of reducing the number of bears killed, the City of Coquitlam has recently beefed up enforcement and is targeting residents who leave out food attractants.

Infractions include leaving out garbage bins outside of designated hours and failing to pick up fruit that has fallen from trees or bushes.
The city has handed out 60 fines worth $500 each this year to residents who have failed to be bear smart.

Angela Fontana, Critter Care’s senior animal care supervisor, had an isolated space ready for the bear cub Sunday afternoon.

“We heard about it last night so we were prepared to get the call this morning,” Fontana said Sunday before the cub arrived at their Langley centre.

She said the cub will spend about a week in an isolated enclosure before moving to a larger area that is already home to four bears.

Fontana estimates the cub is about seven months old and weighs between 30 and 40 pounds.

It will eat fruit and vegetables, and other food that Critter Care staff can forage from the nearby forests.

Fontana said the cub will be nervous, but should settle quickly.

“I think the bear cub will be fine, but it is probably a bit freaked out. It will probably be released next year,” she said.

Agencies/Canadajournal