A local resident got away with just some minor scrapes after a run-in with a young bear on Sunday night.
Sam Coventry said he was out tending to some of the vegetables on his farm around 1:30 a.m. He said as an insomniac, he'll usually be out at night either looking after the farm or just stargazing.
After doing his check-up, he rounded the corner of his home and spotted a young bear about 15 feet in front of him.
"I guess he got spooked, well me and him both. He just charged at me. I protected my neck and kind of threw my shoulder up," Coventry recounted.
"He swiped at me. He got kind of just the tips of his claws into me, which kind of scraped my arm. And then I do practice my own boxing and stuff so, I feel bad, but I punched him in the throat. And he ran off."
Coventry said that he went for the throat as a weak spot, and the bear bolted back into the woods afterwards.
"It was a really crazy situation. ...I've had some crazy things happen to me in my life and this was one of the moments where I just started laughing like 'What just happened?' And I feel fine now."
Naramata residents are used to seeing bears come through their yards and properties, seeing growing numbers frequenting the area over the years.
"A lot of the times I've even seen a mama and two baby bears climbing the trees and stuff near here. And there are lots of fruit trees on my property, so they like to come and snack."
Coventry said he hasn't been worried about another run-in since the incident.
"I don't have any anxiety or anything about it, I don't want like 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 neighbour to bears and other wildlife in the Okanagan to help ensure their continued existence, click here.
