A Fernie man’s faithful companion is a hero this week, after saving him from a grizzly bear.
Bernie Pulsifer was charged by a grizzly bear while out mountain biking on Ridgemont trails on May 26. But Kyna, his six-year-old Border Collie, was quick to intercept the two and chase the bear away.
“It all happened so fast,” said Bernie. “I was on Ecoterrorist biking with some friends around noon and we had got to just about 200 m past the boardwalks going down when I heard a bear crashing through the bush. It appeared on the trail just ahead and then started charging up towards me.
“My friends were ahead, but Kyna was with me. She let the bear get a little too close for comfort but then she went for it. She chased it down the trail and into the bush.”
Kyna eventually came back, luckily, without being followed by the bear.
The bear has been spotted a few times since but has not been aggressive.
“There were a lot of bikers up on the trails that day,” said Bernie. “I was just so relieved Kyna chased it off. It was scary.”
Bernie and Kyna are devoted companions, and spend a lot of time together doing various activities. Earlier this year, Bernie took part in the Elkford Winter Carnival, skijoring, and got a lot of attention as the only competitor with just one dog, Kyna.