A Saskatchewan woman is dead after she was attacked by a black bear in a remote northern region of the province.
It is the first fatal bear attack in the province since 1983, RCMP said.
The 44-year-old woman, a man and two children under the age of 10 were camping in the forest north of Buffalo Narrows when the woman was attacked Thursday evening, police said.
Police said the woman sustained significant injuries and was pronounced dead by medical personnel in Buffalo Narrows after being flown out of the area where the attack occurred.
Her name and hometown have not been released by police.
No other injuries were reported.
The area where the attack occurred is very remote — near McKie Lake, approximately 150 km north/northeast of Buffalo Narrows, police said.
The older black bear was between 250 and 350 pounds.
“It was killed at the scene (and) shot at the scene,” conservation officer inspector Greg Johnson said.
“Until we are finished our investigation, we won’t know exactly how that happened.”
Conservation officers are investigating the circumstances around the attack and the carcass will be sent away to undergo an animal autopsy called a necropsy.
“We’ll figure out if there were health reasons or other environmental reasons why this bear attacked in the manner it did. Attacks like these are not common. This is not typical black bear behaviour,” Johnson said.
The Ministry of Environment’s wildlife human attack response team is investigating the attack due to the involvement of wildlife.
Saskatchewan’s coroner’s office is also investigating.
Buffalo Narrows community members were shocked by the attack, but have noticed more bears in the area this summer. Northern Store manager Calvin Daigneault said some bears have been euthanized and trapped.
“Last week, a bear walked right in front of my yard,” Daigneault described.
“He just walked right in front of my yard right towards the police station.”
RCMP said there is currently no ongoing safety public risk.
-With files from Mandy Vocke