How B.C. man rescued himself from jaws of grizzly that ripped off his lips and scalp

Joe Pendry used his experience as a boxer to fight for his life when a mother grizzly attacked him, grabbed him by the head and inflicted horrific injuries in British Columbia’s East Kootenay region this month.

His wife, Janice Pendry, has described how her 63-year-old husband survived the attack that took place near Fort Steele, northeast of Cranbrook, on Oct. 2 while he was hunting elk and encountered the bear, which had two cubs.

Pendry said her husband shot the charging bear in the leg but it kept coming.

She said he punched and even bit the animal’s ear as he fought for his life, suffering gruesome injuries that include his lips and part of his scalp being torn off, losing a finger and suffering numerous broken bones.

Pendry said her husband repeatedly punched the bear in the nose, drawing on his boxing skills, but the animal intensified its assault.

Pendry said at one stage her husband’s head was in the animal’s mouth. “That’s when she tore his scalp off and did some major damage to his face,” she said.

Pendry said her husband is also recovering from a broken nose, broken cheekbones, two broken arms and broken ribs.

He was eventually able to fend the animal off, calling 911 and his son for help, and he was flown to Kelowna General Hospital, where he’s undergone multiple surgeries to his face and other parts of his body.

“It was very touch and go,” Pendry said. “But he’s a tough fighter.”

The BC Conservation Officer Service has said a dead grizzly found in the area days later was responsible for the attack, with Pendry saying she was told it died of sepsis.

Pendry said her husband’s experiences as a boxer and outdoor hunting guide “helped him out in the bush” and allowed him to beat the odds.

“It saved his life, because not many people … live through a grizzly attack.”

But Pendry also said her husband faces a long recovery and he’s experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

She said he “still dreams about the bear” and may never be able to return to work as a foreman with a highway maintenance company.

Pendry said the incident has also taken a toll on her. “But I have family that are supporting me,” she said.

“I have good days, I have bad days,” she said. “I never thought I’d have to go through this. I’m holding it together for everybody else. I’m trying to be strong for everybody else, and I’m holding it inside. I think one day, I’m going have to let it out.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2025.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press