Father of girl whose arm was allegedly mauled by bears at Greater Vancouver Zoo files lawsuit

The father of a girl who was allegedly injured in an attack by black bears at the Greater Vancouver Zoo has filed a lawsuit on behalf of his daughter.

In the lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, Richard Hanson states that on Aug. 5, 2019, his then two-year-old daughter, the plaintiff in the case, was at the Aldergrove zoo and put her arm through an unguarded chain-link fence located at the zoo’s black bear exhibit. He says a group of black bears attacked and mauled her arm.

“The attack has caused and continues to cause the plaintiff serious personal injuries, losses and damages,” says the suit.

The father, who is acting as a litigation guardian in the case, claims that the attack was caused by the negligence of the zoo.

Injuries suffered by the girl include a fracture to her left distal ulna, the partial amputation of the left distal phalanx, loss of muscle tissue, lacerations, contusions and scarring, according to the suit.