Grizzly attack in B.C. likely 'defensive', bears to be spared, investigators say

British Columbia's Conservation Officer Service says a grizzly attack on a couple in the province's Interior over the weekend was likely "defensive in nature," and it's unlikely the bears were stalking people.

In an update posted on Facebook, the service says its investigation into the Saturday attack along the Kootenay River near West Creston, B.C., found no evidence the two bears were hunting humans.

The update adds there were no reports of bear activity or aggressive behaviour in the area before the attack, and the service is no longer trying to capture and kill the animals.

The attack on a couple e-biking along the river saw a man significantly injured and requiring hospitalization and surgery in Cranbrook, B.C.

The man's wife used bear spray to deter the animal attacking her husband and another that ran toward her, in what the service says was likely a "surprise encounter" for the bears, startled by the bikes on a corner of a trail bordered by thick brush.

Trails in the area remain closed as a precaution.

Conservation Officer Service Insp. Dave Webster says the couple was "well-prepared" for possible bear encounters in the wild, helping reduce the severity of the attack.

"They had bear spray, had it readily accessible, and knew how to use it,” Webster says in the service's Facebook statement. "We’d like to recognize these actions and encourage anyone hiking, biking or recreating in bear country to take similar precautions.”

The incident was one of two animal attacks reported in B.C. over the weekend by the service, with the other happening Saturday near Smithers, B.C., when a man deterred an attacking cougar by punching it in the face.