Two hikers seriously injured in grizzly sow attack near Pass Lake, BC

Two hikers were seriously injured on Oct. 12 after a grizzly bear attacked them on the Farm Cabin Trail near Pass Lake Forest Service Road in the McGregor Mountain range northeast of Prince George, British Columbia, the Conservation Officer Service said. The service said both hikers were in hospital and in stable condition as of Oct. 14.

The Conservation Officer Service’s Predator Attack Team investigated the incident and concluded the sow, which had two cubs, acted defensively, the agency said in a social media post. Because of the location and nature of the encounter, officials said no action will be taken against the bears. As a precaution, the service has recommended canceling hikes in the Pass Lake area and closed trails there while investigators scour the site. A photo from the scene showed an RCMP helicopter and a civilian helicopter above a mostly open ridge.

The attack is one of several grizzly encounters reported in British Columbia in recent weeks. On Sept. 29, near Fort St. James, officials said a hunter was charged and bitten on the ankle by a sow protecting cubs; the bear withdrew and the hunter sought medical attention independently. Earlier in October, an elk...