JOHNSONS CROSSING, Yukon — Wildlife officials are puzzled after a woman was mauled by grizzly bear in Canada over the weekend.
Yukon conservation officers said the animal came onto the property, getting the attention of the family dog.
When Claudia Huber’s husband, Matthias Liniger, went outside to calm the dog, he spotted the bear and ran back inside to get his rifle.
However, by that time the animal had made its way into the home through a window.
When the couple ran out of their home, the bear ran after them.
“The husband and wife ran outside while the bear gave chase and caught the woman. The man managed to kill the animal and get his wife to the closest medical centre,” stated a news release from the coroners’ office.
However, the victim suffered serious injuries and later died at a hospital.
Conservation officers said they are mystified since bear attacks are so rare.
“What makes this very unique and very rare is the occupants were inside and in this case the bear was very aggressive,” said Ryan Hennings with the Yukon Conservation Office. “So this is not normal, this is very rare, and something we are still trying to investigate, determine the events leading up to that.”
Ryan Hennings
The man shot and killed the bear and drove the woman to a local health center where she was pronounced dead.
A necropsy on the bear has already been completed, but experts are waiting for analysis of tissue samples.
An autopsy on the victim is scheduled to be performed this week.
