A man succumbed to injuries sustained in a bear attack after initially surviving the terrifying ordeal.
Joe Pendry, aged 63, was hunting elk near Fort Steele, situated northeast of Cranbrook in British Columbia, Canada, when he encountered a bear and her two cubs on October 2. Despite initially surviving the brutal attack, his wife Janice announced on Saturday that he passed away due to a blood clot.
Following the incident, she recounted how Joe attempted to stop the charging bear by shooting its leg, but the bear persisted and eventually clamped its teeth around Joe’s head. In a desperate struggle for survival, Joe resorted to punching and biting the bear’s ear.
Joe sustained severe injuries, including the loss of his lips and part of his scalp, a missing finger, a broken nose and cheekbones, as well as fractures in his arms and ribs.
After managing to fend off the bear, Joe called 911 and his son for help. He was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries on his face and other body parts, as per reports from CBC.
The British Columbia Officer Service, in a Facebook post, mentioned discovering a dead grizzly bear near the attack site and confirmed the bear’s responsibility for the incident.
Pendry revealed that the bear died from sepsis. In a statement on October 17, it was stated, “The Conservation Officer Service can confirm that they responded last week to a report of a dead grizzly bear found in the area near the original attack location.
“The COS recovered the bear and through DNA analysis were able to confirm that this was the bear involved in the attack. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the response efforts. The victim remains in hospital and is continuing to recover.”
WildSafeBC, a non-profit organization, reported receiving between 400 and 500 calls regarding grizzly bears annually, noting that while grizzly attacks are rare, they can be fatal.
In a separate incident in October, the British Columbia Officer Service disclosed that two hikers were attacked by a grizzly bear in the McGregor mount area northeast of Prince George. The hikers sustained serious injuries from the bear, which was accompanied by two cubs.
Individuals passing through bear-populated areas are advised to follow specific protocols if encountering a bear, which include:
• Remaining calm and refraining from running.
• Speaking calmly and backing away slowly.
• Standing ground and using bear spray if necessary in the event of a bear charge.
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