Grizzly bear found dead in Canada was killed by a goat

What would win in a fight; a grizzly bear or a goat?

If you're in Canada the answer may surprise you.

Parks Canada officials have confirmed a female grizzly bear found dead in early September was likely killed by the "dagger-like" horns of a mountain goat.

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The body of the 70 kilogram bear was found by a hiker on September 4, near the Burgess Pass trail in British Columbia.

After conducting a necropsy, authorities determined a mountain goat's horns pierced the bear's armpits and neck leading to the animal's death.

"The location of the fatal wounds on the carcass were consistent with the predatory attack behaviour of grizzly bears and the defensive response of mountain goats," a Parks Canada spokesperson told 9news.com.au

"When grizzly bears attack, they tend to focus on the head, neck and shoulders of the prey, usually from above. In turn, the defensive response of mountain goats would be to protect themselves using their sharp horns.

"Grizzly bear predation of mountain goats is relatively common and significant goat activity was observed in the immediate area. In this case, it appears that the mountain goat was able to defend itself.

"While rare, other cases of mountain goats defensively-killing bears have been reported in the past."

The mountain goats in the region have thick white fur, can weigh as much as 125 kilograms, and have long black horns that can reach almost almost 30 centimetres.