An Alberta Fish and Wildlife investigator says there’s no evidence to support an Alberta man’s claims of a bear attack that left him with bloody lacerations to his face and body.
Though 22-year-old Justin Gambler’s injuries are real, officials don’t believe they were caused by a black bear – or any wild animal.
After investigating the Friday incident that left Gambler with 27 stitches in his face, Alberta Fish and Wildlife says it won’t be trying to track and capture the animal responsible.
"With all the evidence the team has collected here, it does not support a wildlife attack," Mike Ewald told CTV News.
Gambler had been airlifted to the University of Alberta hospital in Edmonton, and though officials there said his wounds were consistent with a bear attack, investigators disagreed.
Gambler said he was riding his all-terrain vehicle near Calling Lake, 200 kilometres north of Edmonton, on Friday evening when he was attacked. He said his escape came after a kick to the bear’s nose bought him enough time to run five kilometres to safety. He was picked up by hunters travelling along a nearby road.
"He just charged at me," Gambler had told CTV Edmonton, after his release from hospital. "He was trying to scratch me and swipe at me."
Ewald said Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers conducted a “thorough investigation” on Saturday and determined the allegations to be “unfounded.” He gave no other specifics about the investigation.
Residents in Alberta’s north have been on high alert in recent weeks, after a bear attack earlier this month in Fort McMurray left a 36-year-old oilsands employee dead.
