WHITEHORSE – A Yukon coroner’s report has found a bullet, not a bear, killed a woman who was being attacked by the bruin near Johnson’s Crossing, 120 kilometres southeast of Whitehorse.
It began when a bear entered Claudia Huber’s home through the front window in October 2014 and terrorized her and her husband Matthias Liniger.
Coroner Kirsten MacDonald says Huber and Liniger were chased out of the home, and were hiding in separate vehicles, but when Huber made a break for the other vehicle, the bear attacked and dragged her into the woods.
The report says Liniger grabbed a gun from the house, and shot the bear as it was on top of Huber, who was playing dead, but one of the bullets ricocheted off a tree, and hit her in the chest.
MacDonald’s report notes playing dead was the wrong thing to do during a predatory bear attack.
Her report calls for more public education on what to do in bear attacks, and also seeks more information for rural residents about the need to keep food and other items properly stored, to avoid attracting predators.
Comments