Girl, 10 critically injured in Port Coquitlam, B.C. black bear attack

PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. – A 10-year old B.C. girl is in hospital after being attacked by a female black bear in Port Coquitlam, just east of Vancouver.

A spokeswoman for the B.C. Ambulance Service described the child's injuries as critical.

The attack happened late Saturday afternoon on a trail near a river in the city's River Springs neighbourhood.

Conservation inspector Murray Smith said the bear had been with its cub at the time.

He said the mother bear would not leave the heavily populated area and as a result had to be destroyed. It was unclear what happened to the cub.

Smith said conservation officers would try to determine whether the bears ventured into the community because they were attracted by garbage and whether they might have lost their fear of humans through previous contact with people.

(News 1130)

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Kim Anderson

Originally from a northern B.C. town that boasts a giant fly fishing rod and a population of 3,100, Kim moved to Kamloops in 2011 to attend Thompson Rivers University. Kim is as comfortable behind a camera as she is writing on her laptop. After graduating with a degree in journalism, Kim has been busy with an independent freelance writing project and photography work. Contact Kim at kanderson@infonews.ca with news tips or story ideas.

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