VANCOUVER — When Keith Brekke arrived at his shop in the Bella Coola Valley on Saturday, he found not just another customer wanting service, but British Columbia's latest bear attack victim waiting for help.
"He was sitting in the waiting area dripping in blood," said Mr. Brekke, who runs the gas station and O.K. Tire Store in Hagensborg, 16 kilometres east of Bella Coola, on B.C.'s central coast.
The bear attack was the first in B.C. this year, and it occurred coincidentally just days before the government's announcement yesterday that it is providing $450,000 for bear awareness programs around the province.
The objective of the programs is to keep bears and people apart, so that neither party gets hurt.
Each year on average, six people are attacked by bears in B.C. - and about 700 problem bears are shot.
On the weekend, the bears claimed the first victim, but conservation officers were on the scene shortly, setting traps and searching for the bear in an animal-control exercise that is likely to be repeated many times around the province this year.
Mr. Brekke said the man who was attacked managed to stagger back to his truck, and drove himself out of the bush before pulling off Highway 20 at the store in Hagensborg, a community with a population of about 300.
"He's a tough old bird," he said of the man, whose name was not released because of a request for privacy.
"I'm not sure why he stopped here. ... I guess he couldn't drive any more," Mr. Brekke said.
He said the man, who on Sunday was flown to Vancouver for treatment, told him that "he'd got chewed upon by a grizzly bear" while taking pictures near Noosgulch River.
"His scalp was torn up pretty good, his left elbow by the look of it [was bitten] and there was some damage down around the right knee," said Mr. Brekke, who promptly called for an ambulance in Bella Coola.
Kate Thompson, head of media relations for the B.C. Ministry of Environment, said the bear hasn't been seen since the attack.
She said conservation officers have set live traps, but there hasn't been a decision yet on the animal's fate if it is caught.
Bears are sometimes relocated to wilderness areas, but if they are considered too dangerous, they are shot. In 2005, a family of four aggressive grizzly bears was shot near Bella Coola after one man was attacked, and two anglers on the Bella Coola River were charged by the same animals.
Environment Minister Barry Penner said funding for the Bear Aware program is aimed at reducing the number of human-bear conflicts.
"Each year, approximately 700 bears have to be destroyed in B.C. because they pose a danger to the public while doing what comes naturally - looking for food," Mr. Penner said. "What is unnatural about the situation is that too many people are carelessly leaving food and garbage around for bears to sniff out, causing bears to be in places where they shouldn't be.
"Sadly, a fed bear often becomes a dead bear. The Bear Smart program helps prevent many bear deaths."
It isn't known whether the Bella Coola attack was related to a food or garbage problem. The area where the incident occurred is prime grizzly habitat.
Jacques Drisdelle, provincial co-ordinator of the Bear Aware program, said the project has had remarkable results in some of the communities that have adopted it in recent years.
In Revelstoke, he said, the average number of problem bears killed yearly has dropped to zero from 40 in most years, although there was a spike last year when 11 were killed.
In Golden, where 20 to 30 problem bears were being killed each year, only five were shot in 2007. In Coquitlam, the number of calls from the public complaining about nuisance bears has dropped to 500 from 1,200 a year.
Mr. Drisdelle said the program works by educating the public about bear behaviour, identifying problem areas, and cutting down on the things, such as garbage, that draw bears into areas where they will encounter people.
He said 19 B.C. communities are engaged in the Bear Aware program, which is funded jointly by provincial and local governments.
"Bella Coola is interested," he said. "I'm going out there next month to talk to them about it."
Bear Aware tip sheet
Bears often end up being killed after they come into contact with humans. Typically, 700 bears are shot in British Columbia each year, but sometimes as many as 1,000 problem bears are killed. In an attempt to cut down on the conflict, the provincial government is encouraging communities to take a Bear Aware program that suggests adopting bear-proof litter cans, calls for community planning to amend wildlife corridors or green spaces, and suggests removing unused fruit trees. In addition, people who live in bear country are advised to follow these top 10 tips:
1. Keep garbage in the house, garage or shed until pick-up day.
2. Don't add meat products or cooked food to compost, turn it regularly and keep it covered.
3. Pick ripe and fallen fruit daily.
4. Remove unused fruit trees.
5. Use birdfeeders only in winter.
6. Keep ground free of seeds.
7. Clean barbecue grill after each use.
8. Store grill covered in a secure area.
9. Bring pet dishes inside and clean up spills.
10. Store pet food indoors.
Source: B.C. Ministry of Environment.
For more information, go to: www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/bearsmart/bearsmintro.html
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