A Naramata resident fell on it and scraped his hand on Sunday night A local resident escaped with just a few minor scratches after a run-in with a young bear on Sunday night. Sam Coventry said he was out tending to some of his farm’s vegetables around 1:30 a.m. He said as an insomniac, he will usually be out at night either taking care of the farm or just looking at the stars. After doing his check-up, he rounded the corner of his house and spotted a young bear about 15 feet in front of him. “I guess he was terrified, me and him both. He just attacked me. I protected my neck and threw my shoulder up,” Coventry recounted. “He hit me. He only grabbed the tips of his nails, which scratched my hand. And then I practice my own boxing and stuff, so I feel bad, but I hit him in the neck. And he ran away.” Coventry said he looked for the neck as a weak point, and the bear bolted back into the woods afterward. “It was a really crazy situation… I’ve had some crazy things happen in my life and that was one of those moments where I started laughing like, ‘What just happened?’ And I feel good now.” Naramata residents have become accustomed to seeing bears pass through their yards and properties, seeing increasing numbers frequent the area over the years. “Many times I’ve even seen a momma and two baby bears climbing the trees and stuff around here. And there’s a lot of fruit trees on my property, so they like to come and snack.” Coventry said he has not worried about another attack since the incident. “I’m not stressed or anything about it, I don’t want to call it an attack, but yeah, I’m totally fine now.” For tips on what to do if you encounter a bear, click here. For information on how to be a good neighbor to bears and other wildlife in the Okanagan to ensure their continued existence, click here.
