Mountain biker killed by bear in BC

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0700
Subject: Mountain biker killed by bear in BC

Mountain bikers go too fast downhill to be aware of their
surroundings, surprising and scaring the wildlife. Mountain biking
can, in this case, be very detrimental to one's health.

[a friend]

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/n...e-cb27186c2a12

Bear attack suspected in mountain biker's death

Linda Nguyen
Vancouver Sun

Monday, July 23, 2007

Members of the RCMP are investigating what appears to be the
province's latest bear attack after the body of a 34-year-old woman
was found near Invermere Sunday. The woman had set off Saturday on the
mountain biking trails at Panorama Mountain Village resort, about 19
kilometres west of Invermere in southeastern B.C.

She was reported missing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. A search and rescue
team found her near the Panorama Mountain Bike Park around 5:30 a.m.
Sunday, Sarah Harrison with the Ministry of Environment said. A black
bear was found hovering over the woman's body.

"They located her with the bear guarding the body at the time. The
bear was alive and the body wasn't," she said.

Harrison said the bear was shot and killed by an RCMP officer, before
the province's conservation officers arrived at the scene.

It's unclear if the bear, estimated to be about 54 kilograms (120
pounds), had in fact fatally attacked the woman.

"They don't know whether the bear was the cause or whether it was just
there," said Mark Woodburn, vice-president of Panorama Mountain
Village.

The ministry is investigating the incident and an autopsy will be done
on the bear to determine if it had killed the woman. An autopsy will
also be done on the woman. The mountain operations were closed Sunday
as RCMP and conservation officers investigated the incident.

"We're all shocked and saddened; something like this has never
happened before," said Eric Whittle, Panorama's director of sales and
marketing.

During the summer, the mountain is a popular spot for mountain bikers
who can ride up chair lifts and ride down steep trails with varying
degrees of difficulty.

Another incident involving mountain bikers and bears occurred on the
weekend, when a couple near Banff found themselves face-to-face with a
grizzly bear who was protecting her young. The young Jasper couple
were on the Lake Minnewanka Trail around 8:15 p.m. Saturday when they
came upon two grizzly cubs. The grizzly sow charged at the 22-year-old
woman and the 32-year-old man from behind, forcing the two to jump off
their bikes and make a run for it.

The two ran down to the lake, stumbling and falling on rocks as the
bear huffed very close to the man. The sow and cubs then left the
area. The man and woman were taken to hospital with minor cuts and
scrapes.

A Clinton man was also lucky last week after surviving a bear attack
during a morning bike ride July 16. Roy Klopp, 56, encountered an
unusually aggressive bear around 11 a.m. on one of the walking trails
above Clinton near the Cariboo Highway in the Kamloops-Thompson
region.

The 90-kilogram bear tried to attack Klopp, a sawmill worker, while
his two dogs attempted to fend it off.

He escaped with minor injuries only after the young bear bit him in
the behind.

Barbara Murray of Bear Matters BC said such incidents can be prevented
if cyclists take some precautions.

"People have to be bear aware in the woods," she said. "Look for bear
scat on the trail, look for animal carcasses or a big berry bush. You
have to be very alert and listen to cracking branches."

Murray said bears often attack because they're scared by cyclists.
"Usually most bears aren't dangerous. They get surprised and try to do
something, especially when they have cubs. But it only takes one swat
from a bear to kill a person," she said.

Earlier this month, two forestry workers also encountered a bear near
Invermere. The July 4 attack happened near Akinkoom Creek, 50
kilometres east of Canal Flats.



With files from CanWest News Service
© The Vancouver Sun 2007
--
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to
humans ("pure habitat"). Want to help? (I spent the previous 8
years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0700
Subject: Mountain biker killed by bear in BC



Crikey! Over here the scariest thing in the forest is me, with the possible
of magpies in nesting season (which starts next month. Gulp!)

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0700
Subject: Mountain biker killed by bear in BC



Crikey! Over here the scariest thing in the forest is me, with the possible
exception of magpies in nesting season (which starts next month. Gulp!)

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

mike,
you are a very sick puppy. Please seek mental help, counseling, and/or
medication.

Have a nice day.
Charlie Maxwell



"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0700
Subject: Mountain biker killed by bear in BC

Please don't put a cell phone next to any part of your body that you are
fond of!

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande

Mike Vandeman wrote:
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0700
Subject: Mountain biker killed by bear in BC

Mountain bikers go too fast downhill

Some mtb'ers.


Bear attack suspected in mountain biker's death

Just a case of meals on wheels.
Lots of old people get it every day.

Why shouldn't the bears?

OzCableguy wrote:
"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0700
Subject: Mountain biker killed by bear in BC




Crikey! Over here the scariest thing in the forest is me, with the possible
exception of magpies in nesting season (which starts next month. Gulp!)

Give you a tip, if you ever go campng in Northern Australia, do not camp
near water. Make it a few hundred metres away.

Rather unpopular one bicycle trip when I insisted.
NO arguments the next morning from anyone in the group. It was a big
******* that left tracks right where they wanted to camp.

"Terryc" wrote in message
...
Give you a tip, if you ever go campng in Northern Australia, do not camp
near water. Make it a few hundred metres away.

Rather unpopular one bicycle trip when I insisted.
NO arguments the next morning from anyone in the group. It was a big
******* that left tracks right where they wanted to camp.


I forgot about those. Saying "crikey" should have brought it to mind. :-)
There have been verified sightings as far down as Rockhampton too
(http://tinyurl.com/2z8wff) but not down this far yet (Brisbane) thank
goodness.

But I guess there's other scary stuff like the fierce snake, taipans, king
browns, red belly black, death adders, redbacks, funnelwebs, blue ringed
octopus, irukandji, stonefish... hmmm... maybe we'd be better off with bears
and cougars...

--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

OzCableguy wrote:
"Mike Vandeman" wrote in message
...
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0700
Subject: Mountain biker killed by bear in BC



Crikey! Over here the scariest thing in the forest is me, with the possible
of magpies in nesting season (which starts next month. Gulp!)


Bears and wolves are a fact of life in many places. My favorite example
is a local elementary school is also at a hiking trail head and not 200
yards into the trail there a Caution: Bear in Area sign.

snip

It's unclear if the bear, estimated to be about 54 kilograms (120
pounds), had in fact fatally attacked the woman.

"They don't know whether the bear was the cause or whether it was just
there," said Mark Woodburn, vice-president of Panorama Mountain
Village.

The ministry is investigating the incident and an autopsy will be done
on the bear to determine if it had killed the woman. An autopsy will
also be done on the woman. The mountain operations were closed Sunday
as RCMP and conservation officers investigated the incident.


/snip


Jumping to conclusions again, are we?

On Jul 24, 7:59 am, "Jeff Strickland" wrote:
snip

It's unclear if the bear, estimated to be about 54 kilograms (120
pounds), had in fact fatally attacked the woman.

"They don't know whether the bear was the cause or whether it was just
there," said Mark Woodburn, vice-president of Panorama Mountain
Village.

The ministry is investigating the incident and an autopsy will be done
on the bear to determine if it had killed the woman. An autopsy will
also be done on the woman. The mountain operations were closed Sunday
as RCMP and conservation officers investigated the incident.



/snip

Jumping to conclusions again, are we?

It sounds like the reporter was, anyway. It is very sad that the bear
was killed without haivng answered some questions. It seems like
there could have been another solution than the wild west variety
"shoot first" approach.

However, in grizz or cougar country, the LAST thing I'd do is act like
a meal and go fast, at least off well-established roads with good side
visibility. That not only makes it harder for the person to be aware
of what the heck is around the corner, but also gives the predator the
impression that you are a frightened snack. Your speed is likely to
trigger a chase response in the critter...and you probably cannot
outrun either animal, on foot or on wheels.

And for heaven's sake, no matter how you travel, carry pepper spray
that you can retrieve quickly.

Bruce Jensen