Yukon woman fends off mother grizzly with two cubs in confrontation

WHITEHORSE – A Yukon woman had a terrifying close encounter with a mother grizzly Wednesday while she was on her way to work.

Environment Yukon conservation officer Ryan Hennings says the woman was hiking to her job site near Wolf Lake, northeast of Teslin in southern Yukon, when she met the bear.

Hennings says the woman saw the grizzly when the dog she was with started barking.

As soon as the woman and bear made eye contact over a bush, Hennings says the sow came at her at a dead run, with its ears back and mouth open.

He says the woman managed to get her backpack up for protection as the grizzly swatted at her, knocking her to the ground and gashing her arm with its long claws.

Hennings says with the threat to her young over, the mother gathered up the cubs and left the area, leaving the woman with relatively minor injuries.(CKRW)