Bear Attack Hot Tub Leaves Man Rattled, Bear Dead
A bear attack has left a man in British Columbia rattled after the animal approached him while he was in his hot tub. Though the man was able to escape, the bear was put down, and a necropsy has been scheduled to help determine what led to the attack.
The unnamed man was relaxing in a hot tub at the Whistler ski resort in British Columbia, when he "felt a heavy blow to the back of his head, which propelled him forward in the hot tub," Staff Sergeant Steve LeClair told the press. When he turned around, he "found himself face to face with a black bear. He yelled at the bear and retreated inside."
Authorities responding to a call from the resort found the bear not very far from the attack site.
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"The bear was destroyed," authorities stated. Bear attacks this brazen generally lead to the animal being put down in some way as to prevent further attacks.
A necropsy of the bear will help "determine the motivation for the attack," a statement by police explained. Because the bear was so bold in the attack, authorities want to see if the animal was ill or what could have caused it to act in such a manner.
Bear attacks are rare, but seem to be occurring more frequently, as homes are being built in the bears' natural habitats and their living spaces are being intruded upon. Last month, a bear attacked a 74-year-old woman in Arizona while she had her husband were camping in the Tonto National Forest.
The couple escaped after making quite a bit of noise, which frightened the bear. The woman was treated for a severe cut to her face and had to be sedated due to the trauma. The bear, identified as a wild black bear, is currently being hunted by authorities and will be destroyed once found.
"The bear poses a threat to public safety. We can't take any chances," Forest spokesman Jim Paxon told reporters.
