On November 20, a school group was attacked by a grizzly bear, leaving 11 of them injured and two in critical condition.
The incident happened on a walking path in Bella Coola, British Columbia, 435 miles Northwest of Vancouver. According to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, several people had to be transported to the local airport to be air-lifted to the nearest hospital.
In the following weeks, eight bears were captured and tested in an effort to find the one responsible for the attack, but unfortunately, the bear was not found. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service provided an update on social media, stating that due to no new grizzly sightings and with bears moving into denning season, they are “no longer actively trying to capture bears, and equipment has been removed.”
The school group was made up of teachers and students from Acwsalcta School, run by the Indigenous Nuxalk Nation. The Nuxalk Nation says it has coexisted with bears for years and considers this attack highly unusual. According to the CBC, the school also stated that the school group was well-acquainted with bear safety, as one of the teachers reportedly discharged bear spray during the attack.
When talking with the CBC, Jason Moody, the father of one of the children involved in the attack, said, “We’ve lived alongside them for thousands of years. Our relationship is one of respect, and they’re revered and honored.”
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service assured the Nuxalk Nation that it would continue to work with the community to find better ways of co-existing with bears. The service will continue to provide a full-time officer in the community to help deal with future issues.
Inspector Kevin Van Damme told Global News, “This was an extraordinary response to an extraordinary attack—our investigation determined the behavior and actions of this bear were aggressive and unlike any other documented grizzly bear attack we have seen in B.C., or Canada.”
No update has been provided on the injured individuals in the attack but the Indigenous Nuxalk Nation has said they are providing counciling for those effected by the incident.
