Search continues for bear that bit 10-year-old girl in North Vancouver

NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Conservation officers continue to search for a black bear that bit a 10-year old girl while she was walking with her family in North Vancouver Friday afternoon.

On Saturday, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in a Facebook post that there have been multiple sightings of the bear in Rice Lake Park, but it has eluded capture.

The park will remain closed for at least five days.

https://www.facebook.com/ConservationOfficerService/posts/4228659363842249

 

The girl was the only member of her family injured before a bystander scared the bear away around 3 p.m.

“The family was simply having a nice hike around the lake and the bear approached them,” Sgt. Simon Gravel with the B.C. Conservation Officers Service told CityNews Friday.

“When they tried to chase the bear away the bear bit the young girl. She suffered minor injuries, she was transported to the hospital, and she is doing well.”

BEAR ATTACK | A 10-year-old girl was bitten on the leg by a bear at Rice Lake Park in #NorthVan The girl was taken to hospital w/ non-life threatening injuries. The #BCCOS Predator Attack Team is on scene; park is closed. Info: https://t.co/of4cKWQvXZ Updates to follow tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/TXa9pQl7QM

— BC CO Service (@_BCCOS) July 25, 2020

Gravel says seven specialists remain at the park trying to find the bear.

Others in the park spotted the bear and described it as a “sub-adult, small to medium-sized black bear.”

“It is not showing any signs of fear of humans at all,” Gravel says.

Gravel explains the park is populated with animals including bobcats and cougars, as well as many bears.

“We are surrounded by wildlife here, we’re very lucky for it but we need to be ready when we go out. We recommend people to walk as a group, to make a lot of noise, to never feed and never approach black bears.”

With files from Travis Prasad