Barricades have been removed and the public can once again enjoy the trails of Ferguson Lake Park, but should still err on the side of caution.
The City of Prince George reopened the park this morning (Sept. 9), located in the northeast section of city limits, four days after the initial closure due to a bear attack Wednesday night (Sept. 4) when a man was being pursued by a black bear.
This forced the temporary closure by the city to allow B.C. Conservation Officers to investigate the incident, which is now complete.
The initial closure was said to last 24 to 48 hours, but the service extended it so they could continue to monitor Ferguson Lake’s surrounding environment.
Alana Bull was a witness to the attack that saw the man chased into the lake by the animal.
"We looked and saw the man in the lake with the bear pursuing him," she said to PrinceGeorgeMatters on Thursday (Sept. 5). "He [the bear] was probably only six to 10 feet away from him at that point. [...] I had my dog with me. He's a big husky shepherd, a hundred-something pounds. He hates bears and he's gone after them before so I knew he'd be good."
Her dog Musket began to bark once they got close enough to distract the bear and after a few moments of back-and-forth, the bear decided to turn around and swim back to shore on the other side.
She also described the man sustained some scratches on his hips and legs.
Prince George residents and park visitors are being reminded to stay vigilant when walking in a heavy wilderness area, obey all park signs, and to leash all pets.
- with files from Jessica Fedigan, Prince George Matters
