A grizzly bear attack in British Columbia injured 11 people, including schoolchildren and their teachers, with two individuals left in critical condition. The incident occurred in Bella Coola, approximately 430 miles northwest of Vancouver, where conservation officials were unable to locate the bear. A male teacher “got the whole brunt of it,” while some children were hit with bear spray as adults tried to fend off the animal, according to a parent, Veronica Schooner. Her 10-year-old son was part of the school group but not attacked, as he reported seeing the bear run close to him, though it targeted someone else. British Columbia Emergency Health Services stated that two people were critically injured, two more seriously hurt, and seven others treated at the scene. Patients had to be transported to a nearby airport for airlifts to the closest hospital. The group was from Acwsalcta School, run by the Indigenous Nuxalk Nation in the remote town 700km north-west of Vancouver. The B.C. Wildlife Federation noted that a 2017 province ban on hunting grizzlies has led to a rise in such attacks, as bears in Bella Coola have learned dangerous behavior. Since the prohibition, the number of bear reports to the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service has doubled, with the federation expressing hope the incident would lead to reconsideration of the hunting ban. However, the province’s parks minister said it was too soon, noting the bear is still at large and the community doesn’t feel safe. She added that families of those attacked experience “healing and comfort in the coming days.”