Joe Pendry, a 63-year-old hunter from British Columbia, displayed remarkable courage and resilience when he fought off a mother grizzly bear that attacked him while he was elk hunting in the East Kootenay region. The encounter, which left Pendry with severe injuries, occurred near Fort Steele on Oct. 2.
His wife, Janice Pendry, recounted the harrowing ordeal, explaining how her husband used his boxing skills to defend himself against the bear, which had two cubs. Despite shooting the bear in the leg, it continued its aggressive approach. Joe resorted to punching and biting the bear’s ear in a desperate bid for survival, sustaining injuries such as torn lips, scalp, a lost finger, and multiple broken bones.
Janice shared how Joe’s boxing background proved crucial as he repeatedly struck the bear’s nose, eventually managing to repel the attack. Following the incident, he alerted authorities and his son for assistance before being airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital, where he underwent extensive surgeries to address his injuries.
Authorities later confirmed that the bear responsible for the attack had succumbed to sepsis, providing some closure to the Pendry family. Despite his remarkable survival, Joe faces a challenging road to recovery, with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder affecting him. The traumatic encounter continues to haunt him, potentially impacting his ability to return to his job as a foreman at a highway maintenance company.