British Columbia

Prince George bear attack leaves hunter in hospital

Conservation officers have yet to determine why the bear wandered into the man's tent.

Conservation officers have yet to determine why the bear wandered into the man's tent

A black bear like this one attacked a group of hunters near Prince George, B.C.

A man is in hospital in Prince George, B.C. after a 158-kilogram black bear entered the tent he was sleeping in at 11:30 p.m. PT Thursday night.

"The bear was fatally wounded, but regretfully the victim also suffered an injury from a ricocheted bullet," said conservation officer Denny Chretien. 

Chretien said the attack happened when the bear wandered into the large tent and approached the man, who was sleeping near the doorway.

"It's good that his friends reacted so quickly to dispatch the bear and then get their friend to the hospital," said Chretien. 

Conservation officers investigated the scene, he said, but couldn't determine why the seemingly healthy bear wandered into the tent in the first place. 

"We didn't find any reason why that bear had gone into that camp," said Chretien. "There were no attractants." 

Chretien said the officers will continue to investigate to determine if the bear had any health conditions.