A man is recovering in the hospital after being mauled by a grizzly bear while hunting.
The incident occurred on Thursday, October 30, in an area south of Cochrane in Alberta, Canada, according to CBC, CTV News, and The Winnipeg Sun, all of which cited Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
“The bear involved in the attack was shot by the survivor’s hunting partner and is believed to be deceased,” Alberta provincial spokesperson Sheena Campbell told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “A second bear, age unknown, fled the scene after the encounter.”
The man, identified in a GoFundMe as Jesse Sayer, was evacuated to the hospital by emergency personnel. According to EMS, the man was in bad condition when he arrived at the hospital.
Sayer improved while in the hospital and was no longer in critical condition as of October 31, according to the site.
An EMS representative informed The Winnipeg Sun that the man had many injuries throughout his body, but did not specify what they were.
Alberta Fish and Wildlife officials told the media that they planned to obtain DNA samples from the man to determine whether the bear shot in the incident was the one that attacked. They also planned to undertake an evaluation of the area to identify what caused the incident.
The Carstairs Minor Hockey Association (CMHA) stated on Facebook that Sayer was “a beloved coach, volunteer, and Vice President of Carstairs Minor Hockey.”
“We are incredibly thankful that Jesse survived and remains in good spirits as he begins a long road to recovery,” a CMHA spokesperson said.
PEOPLE has contacted Alberta Fish and Wildlife for comment on the event.
Todd Loewen, Alberta Forestry and Parks Minister, told CTV News that the attack was “a pretty serious incident.”
He went on: “Our hearts go out to the person that was injured in this incident, and we hope he’ll make a full recovery.”
Loewen also told the site that authorities are beginning to notice a pattern of grizzly bears being spotted in regions they haven’t seen in centuries.
“We’ve got to make sure people know they can encounter grizzly bears virtually anywhere in the province now,” he told me.
On October 29, Alberta Fish and Wildlife issued a bear safety warning on Facebook, claiming that bear sightings typically climb in “fall and early winter” as they “enter a period of intense feeding to prepare for hibernation.”
During this time, bears are expected to frequent “campsites, garbage dumps, ranches, farms, and residential areas for easily accessible meals.”
The organization encouraged people to “keep food and garbage in airtight containers” and “take garbage bins out in the morning, rather than at night.”
