Police kill bear that attacked Maple Ridge woman, search ongoing for orphaned cubs

CTV News

13-06-2025

In this Saturday, June 14, 2014 photo, a mother black bear wanders with her two spring cubs near the parking garage along Alumni Drive in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Bob Hallinen)
Mounties in Maple Ridge killed a bear after it attacked a woman in her backyard Thursday night, officials confirmed.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the black bear swiped the victim on the side of the head. She was treated in hospital, but police described her injuries as minor.
'RCMP destroyed the suspected offending bear – a sow with two cubs,' the ministry wrote in a statement to CTV News.
Conservation officers were sent to the area early Friday morning, and are still searching for the orphaned cubs on foot, in vehicles, and in the air with drones.
The ministry asked anyone who sees the bear cubs to call the Report All Poachers and Polluters line at 1-877-952-7277.
The Ridge Meadows RCMP sent a warning to residents about wildlife encounters in light of the bear attack, which said officers responded to 'an incident involving a resident and a bear' Thursday, but did not elaborate further.
When CTV News asked police how they came to the decision to kill the bear, they wrote in a statement:
'The decision to dispatch an animal by police is always made on the basis of whether it is potentially dangerous or suffering. Given the nature of the call, including the injury sustained by the resident and the bear still posing a threat on the resident's property, officers were forced to act in the interest of public safety and make a difficult decision. We continue to work with our BC Conservation Officer Service and municipal partners to educate the public and prevent further incidents such as this involving wildlife.'
Mounties also said an aggressive coyote bit a dog on Tuesday.
'While bear and coyote sightings are common in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, Ridge Meadows RCMP is taking this opportunity to remind residents to stay vigilant and use precaution,' police wrote in a news release Friday. 'We all play a significant role in determining how wildlife will interact with humans. Educating yourself and your family can help prevent such encounters.'
Police reminded residents to keep dogs on a leash, secure their garbage, and to never approach or feed wildlife.