The Calgary man who was attacked by a female grizzly bear in the Madden area earlier this month is recovering and recently shared his story with local media.
The hunter mauled in the attack, Carmelo Silvestro, encountered the mother grizzly and her cubs during a season opener hunting trip on Sept. 1.
He told media he turned around to see four bears coming in his direction. He grabbed his bearspray and attempted to stay calm. As earlier confirmed by Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES), he deployed a can of bear spray while being pinned down, clawed, and bitten by the bear. The bear eventually fled.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services said the bear spray likely prevented him from sustaining even more serious injuries.
Silvestro was transported to the Foothills Hospital in Calgary with serious traumatic, but non-life-threatening injuries. He is now recovering with a shattered scapula and broken ribs.
In an interview with local media he said he was hunting together with his friends and his friend's son, who made him aware there could be a sow with cubs in the area when they arrived. His friend handed him an extra can of bearspray before they headed out.
The female grizzly bear, who was accompanied by two sub-adult bears, has been confirmed by FWES as the same grizzly bear that was responsible for the death of University of Calgary business school professor David Lertzman in 2021. The bear evaded capture in 2021 and had not been seen until Sunday when it mauled the Madden-area hunter.
The search for the aggressive grizzly is ongoing, according to Sheena Campbell, the Director of Communications for the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services. Albertans are urged to report any sightings of a female grizzly bear with sub-adult bears in the Madden area, specifically between Lochend Road and Highway 22, to the Report-A-Poacher hotline at 1-800-642-3800.
