Woman injured in bear attack in Whistler backcountry

Trails closed in Callaghan Conservancy following attack Friday evening

A woman was taken to hospital on Friday after a bear attack in the backcountry near Whistler.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said a group of three hikers ran into two bears near Conflict Lake in the Callaghan Conservancy around 5 p.m. PT on Friday.

The service said one of the bears attacked a woman before disengaging.

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Whistler Search and Rescue president Brad Sills said it helped transport conservation officers to the scene, and to evacuate the woman by helicopter.

He said the woman had a severely lacerated leg. B.C. Emergency Health Services said the victim was transported to hospital in stable condition.

BCCOS swept the area and killed an adult male black bear at the attack site due to safety concerns, it added.

However, the service said it has not been able to confirm if a black bear or grizzly bear was responsible for the attack.

Sills said the area is known grizzly habitat, and hikers in the area need to take precautions including making plenty of noise.

“It’s not enough to call out intermittently when you’re hiking, when you’re in known grizzly bear terrain, you need to be calling out all the time,” he said.

The BCCOS said officers were returning to the site on Saturday.

B.C. Parks has closed trail access in the area and is urging people to stay away.