B.C. bear attack deemed a hoax

PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – Conservation officers spent a long, wet night Wednesday searching the woods of Port Alberni for a bear that didn’t exist.

Local RCMP determined Thursday that the claim a 14-year-old boy made about fending off a young bear with his pocket knife – and injuring the animal in the process – was false.

"It was a combination of things that lead us to this discovery," RCMP Sgt. Kevin Murray said. "We discovered, in consultation with conservation officers, that some of the information was not credible."

Murray explained that the boy’s original story just didn’t add up.

He said the teen claimed he was out running late Wednesday afternoon when he was attacked by a young bear. The teen claimed he managed to fight off the bear and sustained only minor injuries.

However, Murray said the knife was found only a short while later completely clean and dry, leading the RCMP to suspect this part of the story was not true.

While Murray said the boy was sent to hospital with some scratches, police had not determined what caused the marks.

Murray also said the boy is known to the RCMP – and that he has, in the past, made false reports about other incidents.

After questioning him for a second time Thursday, it became clear that the story was fabricated. "Because of that history and the inconsistencies, he admitted he made it up."

Conservation officers stopped their extensive search of the area – which has since been reopened to the public – around 1 p.m. Thursday, and informed the community it was not in danger.

Sgt. Ben York, a supervisor with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, said such fabrications are a waste of resources.

He said four conservation officers were called in to search in poor weather conditions for an extensive period of time – meaning overtime costs and added strain on the officers.

But, York said, it also damages the work his office does to encourage the public to have a healthy respect for wildlife.

"Something like this happens, and now they want all bears gone," he said. "If we had found a bear matching the description, it may have ended up paying the ultimate price for someone’s lies."

Murray said the RCMP also wasted resources on the false report. "At a time when budgets and resources are stretched thin, it is a hard pill to swallow," he said.

Murray said police will have to consider a number of factors before determining whether to file criminal charges against the teen.

"He must be troubled to some degree if he feels the need to fabricate something like this," he said. "But people have to understand (that) you can’t do something like this."