Grizzly Bear Attacks Mountain Biker in Canada, Biting Through His Helmet

A 58-year-old man was attacked by a grizzly bear while mountain biking over the weekend.

The man was on the Castle Pass Trail, Lillooet, BC with his wife when they came across a mother bear and two cubs.

The protective sow attacked the man, injuring his abdomen and leg, and biting and crushing his helmet. The injuries were not life-threatening and he is recovering in hospital.

His wife may have saved his life by spraying the bear with bear spray, sending her and her cubs on their way.

It was the second bear attack in a week in the Lillooet area. Last weekend, a man suffered injuries to his arm after he was attacked in his tent on McLean Mountain by a black bear sow with a cub.

Conservation officers determined that it was a surprise defensive attack and no efforts will be made to capture and euthanize the bears.

• Related: Brain Post: The States With The Most Fatal Bear Attacks In The United States

Recreationists and people who work outdoors should always be prepared to handle a bear encounter. Most bear attacks on humans happen in surprise close encounters. Activities that are deliberately quiet or fast-moving, such as hunting, mountain biking, or trail running, put people at greater risk for surprising a bear. Learn what you can do to protect yourself and bears while hiking in bear country.

Protect yourself and bears while you hike in bear country:

• Hike in groups of three or more people
• Carry bear spray and know how to use it
• Be alert and make noise
• Stay out of areas that are closed for bear management
• Don’t hike at dawn, dusk, or at night when grizzly bears are most active
• If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal

The grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a large population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.