Bear attack on Red: dog takes brunt, woman escapes
By Andrew Zwicker
If you go in the woods today, you may be in for a big surprise. Bears in and around Rossland are certainly nothing new, but this past Tuesday one Rossland resident got more than she bargained for.
While hiking near the upper reaches of the Red Head trail on the south side of Red Mountain, a woman and her dog encountered a black bear near Poochies Cabin. The bear proceeded to run at the duo, with the dog taking the brunt of the charge. While the woman was able to escape the scene with only a sprained ankle to show for it, the dog did suffer some minor lacerations. Conservation officer Peter Busink has since been in contact with the Kootenay Columbia Trails Society, who will be posting signs along the trail warning of a bear in the area. While bears will occasionally bluff charge to ward off people or animals they would rather not have around, “It’s very rare for a bear to follow through on a charge,” noted Busink. It is suspected that the bear was likely protecting nearby cubs or providing security for one of its food caches. At this stage, it is unknown whether the bear’s actions were aggressive or defensive. As noted by the conservation officer, if the bear was defending cubs or protecting a food cache, that would not be grounds to have the bear destroyed. The Trails Society and conservation officer have asked all hikers to beware that they are in bear country and to take extra precautions when hiking or biking the trails in the Red Mountain area.
