A British Columbia man has passed away several weeks after being attacked and seriously injured by a mother grizzly bear in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. Joe Pendry, aged 63, was elk hunting near Fort Steele, located just northeast of Cranbrook, on October 2 when he encountered the bear and her two cubs. His wife, Janice Pendry, confirmed on Saturday that he died due to a blood clot.
Despite sustaining severe injuries, including the loss of a finger, torn lips and scalp, broken nose, cheekbones, arms, and ribs, Joe Pendry managed to survive the initial attack. His background as a boxer and outdoor hunting guide was credited for his remarkable resilience during the encounter. Janice Pendry recounted that her husband shot the bear in the leg as it charged towards him, but the bear persisted in its attack, with Joe resorting to punching and biting the animal to defend himself.
Following the harrowing incident, Joe Pendry was able to fend off the bear, call for help, and was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital for multiple surgeries on his face and other injuries. The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service later confirmed that a dead grizzly bear found in the area days after the attack was responsible for the incident, with the bear reportedly succumbing to sepsis.
The British Columbia Environment Ministry informed CBC News that the sow bear had two cubs with her during the attack, although their exact ages were unknown. It is noted that bear cubs usually stay with their mother until their fourth summer, suggesting the cubs might have been old enough to survive independently. WildSafeBC reports that the Conservation Officer Service receives hundreds of calls annually related to grizzly bear sightings. While grizzly bear attacks are rare, they can occasionally be fatal, and WildSafeBC offers guidelines on how to prevent encounters with bears.