Cyclist attacked by bear in Canmore

Just one day after a woman was mauled by a grizzly bear near Cochrane, a woman was attacked by a brown bear in Canmore.

The woman, said to be in her 20s, was biking with a friend Wednesday afternoon when they came across the bear on the trail. After trying to ride away, the bear struck her, EMS says, resulting in a serious soft-tissue injury to her upper torso leading to internal injury.

Her friend used bear spray on the animal, but the injured woman had to bike for a distance before they were able to call for help.

EMS rushed to the scene at 7:30 p.m. The woman is at Canmore General in stable condition. Paramedics say she was calm and conversing with them during the ride.

Meanwhile, a wildlife spokesman says the grizzly in Tuesday’s attack near Cochrane was trying to protect her cubs when she attacked two people at a campground northwest of Calgary. A 25-yearold woman was charged and bitten on the arm by the mother grizzly.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Brendan Cox says the bear will not be tracked down and destroyed.

Coleman Blair, whose family owns the Trapper’s Hill campground by the Ghost River, said he came upon the attack and helped scare the bear away.

The woman was taken to hospital and was in stable condition.

Cox says a large part of the area will be closed to recreational use until further notice.

“The sow was reacting naturally to protect her cubs,” Cox said.

“The cubs stumbled upon the pair. It reacted to defend them, so the bears will be left alone and given the space they need to move on on their own.”