Your Province

Mad mama bear bites back

Woman mauled after her dog attacks two cubs in front yard
Conservation officer Jeff Palm yesterday baits a live-bear trap on April Road in Port Moody.
David Carrigg and Ethan Baron, with files from Ian Austin, The Province
Published: Monday, October 16, 2006

Conservation officers are hunting a black bear that mauled a woman who got between the bear and her cubs.

Port Moody Staff-Sgt. Phil Reid said the terrifying incident began just before midnight on Saturday when 57-year-old Jan Lanz let her dog out into her front yard.

"The mother bear was in the yard rummaging through rubbish and was immediately confronted by the dog," Reid said.

The dog, an Irish setter-pit bull cross named Nabob, then ran into nearby bush where it found two bear cubs in hiding and began to attack them.

With the dog getting the worst of the fight, Lanz went outside to see what all the barking was about.

At that point things went terribly awry for Lanz, who found herself caught between the cubs and the angry mother bear. It took hold of Lanz and bit her on the leg.

"It was holding on to my thigh and I instinctively wanted it to let go because it was hurting," Lanz told Global News.

"It was trying to get to its cubs. I hit it on top of its head and I was stunned it let me go."

By that time a neighbour from the 200-block April Road who had heard the ruckus came to help.

The man was also approached by the angry bear but he managed to scare it off.

He called for an ambulance and tended to Lanz.

Yesterday, Lanz was at home with heavy bandaging on her leg, covering four large puncture wounds.

Nabob was also injured in the attack and was treated for a cut tail, nose and ears.

According to neighbours, there are often bears wandering in their community, which borders wilderness.

"There are quite a few bears around here," said Randy Dunbar, 51, Lanz's next-door neighbour.

"They're pretty benign. They don't really hassle anybody too much. The problem is, if there's food available, they'll come and take it."

The bears have figured out that garbage day is Thursday and often come out of the woods Wednesday night to feast on trash left unsecured, Dunbar said.

Some of Lanz's trash had not been picked up because the city collection crew deemed it too heavy.

"People have got to be a little more proactive with looking after their waste," Dunbar said.

"The bears were here first. Our development is encroaching on their territory."

Reid said the mother bruin was not to blame.

"It's not the bear's fault," he said.

"Obviously, the mom was protecting the two cubs. We certainly don't look at this as an attack. When you live in Port Moody, one must live in co-existence with nature."

Conservation officer Jeff Palm arrived at Lanz's home at 3 p.m. yesterday with a live-bear trap in tow.

Palm opened sardine cans and a carton of molasses and spring-loaded the door so that the gate would close on the bear the minute it touched the food.

A City of Port Moody "bear in area" sign at the base of Lanz's street warns residents to put garbage out at 7 a.m. on trash day and to keep away from bears.