Grizzly Bear Suspected in Yellowstone National Park Hiker Attack
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WY – A hiker was injured Tuesday after an encounter with a bear in Yellowstone National Park, prompting a trail closure and a park-wide assessment for safety. While the hiker initially believed the animal to be a black bear, park officials now suspect a grizzly bear was responsible for the attack, based on location, behavior, size, and subsequent track evidence.
Park officials report the trail has been closed indefinitely while rangers ensure no other hikers are at risk. According to a statement, the bear was likely acting in self-defense and “will not be taking any management action against the bear.”
This incident underscores the inherent risks of recreating in bear country. Yellowstone national ParkS website notes that bear attacks are rare, with only seven people killed by bears as the park was established in 1872. Though, the park also reports 125 people have drowned and 23 have died from burns after falling into hot springs, highlighting a broader range of dangers within the park.
Grizzly bears, once numbering around 50,000 across the American west prior to 1800, were hunted to near extinction by European settlers, dwindling to fewer than 1,000 in the contiguous U.S. Thanks to recent conservation efforts, the grizzly bear population has rebounded to nearly 2,000, primarily in Wyoming, Idaho, and montana, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Despite the population increase, encounters remain possibly hazardous. Current guidance from the National Park Service advises those surprised by a grizzly bear to not fight back unless the attack continues. This advice is a slight update from previous recommendations to simply lie down and play dead.
A similar, less severe encounter occurred last year in Yosemite National Park, California. Ultra-marathon runner Jon Kyle Mohr was attacked by a black bear less than a mile from the finish line of a 50-mile race. Mohr sustained scratches and torn clothing but avoided serious injury, attributing his luck to being near the populated vernal Falls trailhead.
“It was just a really strange, random collision,” Mohr said, reflecting on the incident. “If I had rested my feet for 20 seconds longer at any point,” during the 16-hour run, “it wouldn’t have happened.”
Park officials continue to urge visitors to be bear aware and follow safety guidelines while enjoying Yellowstone National Park.