A British Columbia man has died weeks after a female grizzly bear attacked and seriously injured him in British Columbia's East Kootenay region earlier this month.
Joe Pendry, 63, was hunting elk near Fort Steele, northeast of Cranbrook, on Oct. 2 when he encountered a bear and two cubs.
His wife Janice Pendry confirmed Saturday that he died from a blood clot.
Joe's rare survival of the first attack was due to his background as a boxer and outdoor hunting guide.
Radio West16:13The incredible story of a Kootenay man's survival after being attacked by a grizzly bear.
Joe Pendry was hunting elk near Fort Steele when he came across a female 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 coming and at one point his head ended up in its jaw.
She said he punched and even bit the animal's ear as he fought for his life, suffering horrific injuries including severed lips and part of his skull, the loss of a finger and a broken nose, broken cheekbones, two broken arms and broken ribs.
He was eventually able to drive the animal away by calling 911 and his son for help, and was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital, where he had to undergo several surgeries on his face and other parts of his body.
The British Columbia Conservation Service (COS) reported that in a Facebook post that a dead grizzly bear found in the area days later was responsible for the attack, and Pendry said she was told he died of septicemia.
“COS located the bear and was able to confirm through DNA testing that it was the bear involved in the attack,” the service wrote in its release.
Hundreds of grizzly bear calls
British Columbia's Ministry of Environment told CBC News in a statement that information gathered from the scene indicates the sow had two cubs, but their ages are unknown.
The ministry said the cubs usually stay with their mother until their fourth summer, so it is possible they were old enough to survive on their own.
According to WildSafeBC, COS receives approximately 400 to 500 calls per year regarding grizzly bears.
Nonprofit says on your website that attacks by grizzly bears are rare but can sometimes be fatal.
Website also gives advice about how to avoid encounters with bears.
