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Maple Ridge RCMP confirmed to have shot bear responsible for toddler attack
The B.C. Conservation Officers Service has corrected its previous assessment regarding a bear attack in Maple Ridge, confirming that the bear shot by the RCMP was indeed the animal that attacked a three-year-old girl. The incident occurred on August 9, when the child was mauled while playing on her family's backyard deck. A parent intervened to drive the bear away, and the child was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Following the attack, RCMP officers observed a bear in the same residential area multiple times within 40 minutes and dispatched the animal to ensure public safety. While officials initially suggested the wrong bear had been killed, subsequent DNA analysis and evidence reassessment confirmed the dispatched bear was responsible. The Conservation Officer Service apologized for the initial confusion caused by their earlier assessment.
In a separate wildlife management event in Nelson, the B.C. Conservation Service euthanized a grizzly sow after it exhibited food-conditioned behavior and a loss of fear toward humans, frequently accessing residential properties and non-natural food sources.
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Anaiyah Lekei · B.C. Conservation Officers Service · BC Conservation Officer Service · British Columbia Conservation Officer Service · Maple Ridge · Maple Ridge RCMP · Nelson · West Shore RCMP