Province says bear in potential attack in northern Alberta will be left alone

The province says a bear involved in a suspected attack in a remote area of northern Alberta will be left alone, since it appears to have acted defensively.

Police said last week they responded to a call from the medical centre in Swan Hills, about 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

A man had come in with superficial injuries, mostly scratches, in an apparent bear mauling.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers were called by police to deal with the bear.

The province says its officers went to the medical centre where the man was being treated.

He told them he saw what he thought was a grizzly bear as he crested the top of a hill in a remote area, approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Goose Mountain.

"He deployed his bear spray twice before leaving the area, and the bear did not pursue," said Brendan Cox, a spokesman for Alberta Fish and Wildlife. "He did receive some scratches but was unclear of how he got them.

"While this was an unfortunate incident, the bear does not seem ... to have acted unusually."

Due to the defensive nature of the attack and the remote location, Cox said officers have determined the bear will be left alone at this time.

The area can only be accessed by helicopter and no one is expected to be working there in the near future.