Mauled

Early one morning in August 2017, Jeremy Evans, then 32, set out to hunt in the Alberta wilderness, a stretch of the Canadian Rockies where few people go. Before the day was over, a protective female grizzly bear had attacked him several times. His scalp and face were badly torn, one eye and his jaw were left hanging loose, the tendons in one leg were completely cut, and his hands were hurt from fighting back. He had parked his truck more than a dozen kilometres away in the dark, and there was not another person within reach.

With his wife and eight-month-old daughter in his thoughts, Jeremy stumbled and crawled for hours toward the truck. He then drove himself several kilometres to a backcountry lodge to get help. Throughout the ordeal, he kept thinking about his young family and about his sixth wedding anniversary, which he feared he might not live to celebrate.

This book sets out what happened in that forest, step by step. It also follows Jeremy's long road to recovery and the lessons he took from coming so close to death, including how setting small goals along the way can lead to significant achievements. Although the attack was deeply traumatic, Jeremy bears the grizzly no ill will and still spends time in the backcountry. In his view, the bear was simply doing what any devoted parent would do to protect its young.