Tragedy struck the other day in British Columbia as a grizzly bear mauled a group of school children. The attack was a shock to all as wildlife does not typically attack unprovoked. Days after the attack, the animal is still at large.
Grizzly Bear Mauled A Group Of School Children
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On November 20, near the Four Mile subdivision of Bella Coola, tragedy struck. PEOPLE shared that a group of students, nine-year-olds, were enjoying their lunches along the trail of a midday outing. Suddenly, a bear emerged from the treeline and attacked the students without warning. This is uncommon for the area and was easily one of the "most alarming wildlife encounters the region has seen." Three teachers attempted to intervene in the attack and save the students. One of the teachers emptied two full cans of bear spray at the creature, but it did little to halt the assault. Another person physically threw themselves at the animal, jumping onto it and hitting it repeatedly. Finally, the third teacher used their crutches to strike the animal until it retreated back into the treeline from which it emerged.
Despite their best efforts, some of the children still suffered injuries from the attack. Three of the children were taken to a local hospital, two of whom had life-threatening injuries. Additionally, seven more were treated for minor injuries. Also, one of the adults was "airlifted to Vancouver for treatment."
The Animal Is Still At Large
Naturally, after a grizzly bear mauled a group of children, people wanted answers. After all, conservation officials claim that an attack on such a large group is very unlikely. The shock and horror of it all have left the community shaken. As a result of the attack, many outdoor activities in the surrounding area have halted or slowed down. Officers are still trying to locate the aggressive grizzly bear and her cubs. Although they have been giving it their best effort, the team has yet to locate the bear. The situation is made more dangerous by the difficult terrain and the fact that cubs are involved. Mama bears are known to be more aggressive when they are protecting their young.
PEOPLE shared that "Search teams will continue looking for the animals through the week. Officers hope to capture the bears alive to obtain DNA samples and confirm whether the trio is responsible."
