A school trip into nature turns into a tragedy for a group of students and teachers, attacked by a grizzly bear during the excursion. It happened in Bella Coola, to the west Canada. The close encounter with the animal resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 11 others. The bear, described as “aggressive” by The Standard, attacked the group while they were outdoors and still on the run.
The indigenous Nuxalk community, which controls the region, has deployed police and rangers to track down the grizzly bear.
Samuel Schooner, chief of the Nuxalk Nation, said he was “devastated for the people and families affected by the crash. Everyone involved is receiving medical treatment and our priority is ensuring their safety.”
Aggression
During the attack, some teachers sprayed pepper spray to protect the children. Among the injured victims, a teacher suffered serious injuries and was rushed to hospital. The incident involved Acwsalcta School, a school run by the Nuxalk First Nation, and was the sixth bear attack in Canada recorded this year. Hzita Brown Mack, the grandmother of one of the young victims of the attack, shared a photo of the hospitalized little girl on Facebook: “My heart is broken to see what the bear has done to her small body – she wrote – About 100 stitches were applied to her to close all the wounds and she could be safely removed.”
Emergency state
Brian Twaites, a spokesman for emergency services, said two people were in critical condition and two others had serious injuries, while the other injured were being treated at the scene. The incident draws attention to the growing bear problem affecting various regions of the world, such as northern Japan, where at least 12 people have died due to close contact with the animals since last April.
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