Man attacked by grizzly bear shot by friend trying to save him

A Canadian man being mauled by a grizzly bear was also shot by his hunter friend who was trying to save him.

Wilf Lloyd, a 56-year-old taxidermist, was out hunting with a friend near Fernie in British Columbia when he was attacked by a bear at around 9am on Sunday.

Mr Lloyd was taken to a hospital in Calgary by STARS air ambulance.

STARS spokesman David Fairbanks told MSN: "STARS responded to the Fernie area around 9.23am to transport a 56-year old male who had been mauled by a bear and shot while another person attempted to neutralise the animal."

According to NBC News, Fairbanks added: "The bear is a grizzly bear boar and it is believed at this time to be the only bear involved."

The bear was shot dead by the man's hunting partner, who was not injured.

It is unclear where Mr Lloyd was injured but he has been listed as in a stable condition.

According to the Vancouver Sun, grizzly bear encounters near Fernie are common, particularly in the nearby Flathead Valley, where there are more than 150 of the bears - one per 15 square kilometres.