Grizzly bear attack in Canada leaves 2 hikers hospitalized

Toronto — A grizzly bear attack on a popular trail left two hikers hospitalized in British Columbia, Canada over the weekend. Both hikers were airlifted to Prince George Airport and then transported by ambulance to a regional hospital, one of them in critical condition, according to CBS News’ partner network CBC News.

In a statement shared Tuesday afternoon on social media, the British Columbia Conservation Officer Services said both hikers “were in stable conditions and recovering in hospital.”  

The conservation office confirmed the attack in the McGregor Mountain area, northeast of Prince George, in a statement posted on Facebook. The agency shared a photo of two helicopters hovering above the trail during the rescue operation.

Emergency paramedics on board an air ambulance that rescued the hikers provided treatment to both patients, one of them in critical condition and the other one who was in stable condition, according to British Columbia paramedic service spokesperson Brian Twaites.

Following an investigation, conservation office said its animal attack team had “determined the bear’s actions were defensive.
Due to the location and nature of the incident, no action will be taken against the bears.”

“The trailhead remains closed and signage has been posted. Please respect the closure and avoid the area,” the agency said. 

Bear attacks on humans are rare, but they can be serious, and even fatal.

North American grizzly bears are found mostly in Alaska and across the border in western Canada, but their range extends into Yellowstone National Park, where an American hiker was attacked and seriously injured just last month.

A woman was killed in a grizzly bear attack just west of Yellowstone in 2023.

In August, a bear attacked a woman just outside her home in Alaska, leaving her seriously injured. The family said she “simply stepped outside for a jog” when the bear attacked her, dragging her about 100 feet down a road onto a neighbor’s property.