Bear encounters rise amid food scarcity

A hiker was injured Tuesday night, September 1, 2026, when a grizzly bear chased his dog and then attacked him along a remote forest service road near Sicamous, British Columbia. Conservation officers responded to the incident on the Queest Mountain Forest Service Road in the Malakwa area around 8 p.m. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service has classified the attack as defensive. The man was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and his dog was unharmed. No efforts are being made to capture or locate the bear, and warning signs have been posted in the area. Officers will continue to monitor bear activity. The incident is one of several recent bear encounters across North America, with experts attributing the heightened activity to environmental pressures that are diminishing natural food sources. Bears are actively seeking food in advance of hibernation, and drought conditions are exacerbating scarcity. In Montana, a woman walking her dog on the Cedar Flats trail system near Columbia Falls was mauled on Monday, August 31, around 7 p.m.