B.C. park closed as officers search for bear who attacked girl
B.C. conservation officers continue to search for a black bear in Rice Lake Park in North Vancouver, after the animal bit a 10-year-old girl on Friday.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service (COS) said on Facebook Saturday that it was closing the park for up to five days to hunt for the bear.
"The girl was walking along a trail with her family on Friday afternoon when a bear approached them. As the family and a bystander tried to scare the bear away, the bear bit the girl. She was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," the COS said.
The COS says it has received multiple reports of sightings of a black bear, and suspects the bear has become habituated to humans, based on sightings of discarded food and garbage in the area, and says it's working with local wildlife groups to try educate the public on minimizing leaving out food and other attractants.
"The COS recommends people walk in a group, make noise, carry bear spray and never feed or approach bears or other wildlife," the service says.
