Bear kills sleeping man on wilderness expedition to record sounds of nature
A musician was dragged away and killed by a bear while sleeping in the Canadian wilderness, according to reports.
Julien Gauthier was camping in the remote Northwest Territories in order to record sounds of a nature for a musical project when the grizzly bear attacked.
The 44-year-old had been travelling along the Mackenzie River with a friend, Camille Toscani, according to a tribute from the Brittany Symphony Orchestra.
The attack took place near the settlement of Tulita on 15 August and Mr Gauthier’s body was found a day later, according to Le Parisien, which spoke to Ms Toscani.
In a Facebook post, the orchestra described the Frenchman as a “sensitive, generous and talented man".
It added: "His work was faithful to his curious spirit, humble in front of the vast power and beauty of nature.
“Above all, he wanted his love and respect for nature to be transmitted through his music.”
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detected the launch of a distress beacon early on Thursday morning and sent a helicopter to Tulita, it was reported.
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Man fights off grizzly bear by stabbing it in neck with pocket knife
An update on Mr Gauthier’s fundraising page appeared to confirm his death, though police would not identify the body they found.
RCMP did confirm last week that its officers had found the body of a man reported missing by his female companion following a “bear encounter”, according to a report by CBC, however.
Mr Gauthier was reportedly born in Canada to French parents and lived in France.
His death came just weeks after another man, mountain biker Colin Dowler, was savaged by a grizzly bear in British Columbia. The 45-year-old managed to fight off the beast using a 2in pocket knife before cycling several miles to reach help.
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Read more Man fights off grizzly bear by stabbing it in neck with pocket knife
