(NEWSnet/AP) — A grizzly bear that attacked a hiker in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park won’t be captured or killed by wildlife authorities because it may have been trying to protect a cub, park officials said in a statement.
The 35-year-old Massachusetts man who was attacked on Signal Mountain spent Sunday night in the hospital after the bear bit him several times while he pretended to be dead.
The decision not to pursue the bears, which officials determined behaved naturally after being surprised, also was consistent with attacks that don’t involve campsite raids, eating food left out by people, or similar behaviors that make bears more dangerous.
Rangers track and study many of the Yellowstone region’s 1,000 or so bears but weren’t familiar with the ones responsible for the attack Sunday afternoon, according to the statement.
The bear bit him several times before biting into the can of pepper spray, which burst and drove the bears away.
Park officials didn’t release the victim’s name. He was expected to make a full recovery.
There was no word when Signal Mountain or a road and trail to its 7,700-foot summit would reopen. Such closures are typical after the handful of grizzly attacks on public land in the Yellowstone region every year.
Follow NEWSnet on Facebook and X platform to get our headlines in your social feeds.
Copyright 2024 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.