North

N.W.T. wildlife officials to search for killer grizzly bear

A team from the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is expected to head to the site in the Mackenzie Mountains where a hunter was attacked and killed by a grizzly bear.

53-year-old U.S. hunter killed in bear attack Wednesday

A grizzly bear travels across the Porcupine River tundra in Yukon in 2009. N.W.T. wildlife officials are heading to the Mackenzie Mountains Friday to search for the grizzly bear that killed an American hunter on Wednesday. (The Associated Press)

A team from the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is expected to head to the site in the Mackenzie Mountains today where a hunter was attacked and killed by a grizzly bear.

The team will attempt to locate the bear that killed a 53-year-old American hunter Wednesday night.

The man was on a guided hunting trip 237 kilometres southwest of Norman Wells when the attack happened. Cathy Menard, chief coroner of the N.W.T., says the guide was not injured in the incident and was able to call for help.

That call came into Norman Wells RCMP at about 9:30 p.m. MT. Bad weather prevented police, wildlife officials and the coroner's office from making it into the area until the next morning. 

Along with the coroner, the RCMP, ENR and the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission are all investigating.

Menard says the hunter's name and the name of the outfitting company he hired will not be released at this time, pending notification of the man's family.

The man's remains will be sent to Edmonton for a post-mortem exam.