A Quesnel woman has shared her story, and photos, of a close encounter she had with a large grizzly bear.
Karen Powell was walking along a trail in the West Fraser Timber Park when she encountered the grizzly on Sunday.
She said she was able to snap a photo before the bear began to move toward her.
“I’m not the best judge of distances but I would say the bear was roughly 50 feet away from me,” Powell said.
Powell said she did her best to keep distance between her and the bear, which then began walking away from her but down the path she walked in on. She said she was able to follow the bear, at a safe distance, and was able to make it back to her car without incident while calling for help.
Powell was able to notify a few other park-goers of the bear before leaving the area.
She said she was able to contact the BC Conservation Officer Service, which told her the bear was a male between three and four years old.
The trail has since been closed. Global News has reached out to the BC Conservation Officer Service for more information.
On Sept. 30, two people and their dog was found dead in Alberta’s Banff National Park. It is believed that they were killed by a grizzly bear on Sept. 29.
While in the area, a response team encountered a grizzly bear displaying aggressive behaviour, leading Parks Canada staff to euthanize it on-site for public safety.
A family member of the couple killed by the grizzly bear said he knew something was terribly wrong as soon as he received a call with a message from their satellite device.
Colin Inglis said his nephew, Doug Inglis, and Jenny Gusse, both 62, from Lethbridge, Alta., died in the bear attack. Their seven-year-old border collie named Tris was also killed.
The longtime couple, he said, was on a weeklong backpacking trip in the area.
— With files from Canadian Press
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