An autopsy has confirmed that a 31-year-old Calgary woman was killed by a black bear while on a mountain biking trip at the Panorama Mountain Resort in eastern British Columbia.
The body of Robin Kochorek was found about a half kilometer off one of the resort's marked trails last Sunday. A small brown-nosed black bear was guarding the woman's body.
It's easy for forget how powerful, dangerous, and unpredictable these bears can be.
Paul Visintine, a wildlife conservation officer in Cranbrook, B.C., told CBC News:
“Normally we look for reasons such as a sow with cubs, maybe a wildlife kill nearby, protecting a berry patch, a wounded bear situation. We looked at all the triggers that we would normally associate to this and we just didn't find any. We feel this bear is an aggressive bear and it was just an accident waiting to happen.”
A pathologist confirmed that the bear, which was shot at the scene, was responsible for the mauling, according to the Vancouver Sun.
A spokesman for the resort said that warning signs had been posted earlier in the week after reports of a bear in the vicinity, but those signs had been removed by the time Kochorek left on her ride.
When Kochorek's riding companion reported her friend missing, staff said they'd had reports of a bear chasing mountain bikers.
If you're a mountain biker, it's always good to review suggestions for traveling in bear country. MountainNature.com has these suggestions, and more, for traveling through bears' home territories:
1. Check for recent bear warning or closures;
2. Learn to recognize signs of bear activity;
3. Identify their seasonally preferred foods;
4. Make lots of noise;
5. Travel in large groups;
6. Stay alert;
7. Carry bear spray.
The MountainNature website also has an interactive test of your bear knowledge you can take.
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