A British Columbia man died weeks after a mother grizzly bear attacked and seriously injured him in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia earlier this month.
Joe Pendry, 63, was hunting elk near Fort Steele, just northeast of Cranbrook, on Oct. 2 when he encountered the bear and two cubs.
His wife, Janice Pendry, confirmed Saturday that he died from a blood clot.
Joe’s rare survival of the initial attack was attributed to his experience as a boxer and outdoor hunting guide.
West Radio16:13Incredible survival story of Kootenay man attacked by grizzly bear
Joe Pendry was hunting moose near Fort Steele when he encountered a grizzly bear and her two older cubs.
Speaking to The Canadian Press shortly after the attack, Janice said her husband shot the bear in the leg, but it kept moving forward and at one point its head was in her jaw.
She said she punched and even bit the animal’s ear as she fought for her life, suffering horrific injuries that included having her lips and part of her scalp torn off, losing a finger and having her nose broken, her cheekbones broken, two of her arms broken and her ribs broken.
He was finally able to fend off the animal, called 911 and his son for help, and was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital, where he had to undergo multiple surgeries on his face and other parts of his body.
The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service (COS) said in a Facebook post that a dead grizzly bear found in the area days later was responsible for the attack, and Pendry said he was told it died of sepsis.
“COS recovered the bear and through DNA analysis was able to confirm that it was the bear involved in the attack,” the service wrote in its post.
Hundreds of grizzly bear calls
British Columbia’s Ministry of the Environment told CBC News in a statement that information gathered at the scene indicated the sow had two cubs, but their ages were unknown.
The ministry said cubs normally stay with their mother until the fourth summer, so it is possible they were old enough to survive on their own.
According to WildSafeBC, the COS receives approximately 400 to 500 calls a year about grizzly bears.
The nonprofit says on its website that grizzly bear attacks are rare but can sometimes be fatal.
The site also offers tips on how to avoid encounters with bears.
