A man kills a grizzly bear in Montana after it attacks while he is picking berries
A man picking huckleberries in Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear after it attacked and injured him badly enough that he had to be hospitalized
A 72-year-old man in Montana fatally shot a grizzly bear after the animal attacked him while he was out picking huckleberries, leaving him seriously injured and requiring hospitalization. The incident occurred on Thursday in Flathead National Forest, approximately 2 miles north of Columbia Falls, according to a statement from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
The man was alone when the adult female bear charged at him, prompting him to defend himself using a handgun. Officials noted that female grizzlies are known to act aggressively when protecting their cubs, and they are investigating whether this bear had any young with her at the time of the attack.
As of Friday, there were no updates regarding the man's identity or condition. In a separate but related incident, wildlife officials shot another adult female grizzly bear in Gardiner—about 300 miles south of the Columbia Falls attack—after it had become too familiar with human food sources, leading to property break-ins. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries to people from this bear before it was killed.
Wildlife managers typically try to capture and relocate grizzly bears that demonstrate problematic behavior around humans; however, they will sometimes deem it necessary to put down bears that are likely to continue posing a threat, even if relocated. An estimated 2,000 grizzly bears inhabit regions of western Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and western Montana, with several thousand more found in the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. Grizzlies in the contiguous United States are classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
___ Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The man was alone when the adult female bear charged at him, prompting him to defend himself using a handgun. Officials noted that female grizzlies are known to act aggressively when protecting their cubs, and they are investigating whether this bear had any young with her at the time of the attack.
As of Friday, there were no updates regarding the man's identity or condition. In a separate but related incident, wildlife officials shot another adult female grizzly bear in Gardiner—about 300 miles south of the Columbia Falls attack—after it had become too familiar with human food sources, leading to property break-ins. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries to people from this bear before it was killed.
Wildlife managers typically try to capture and relocate grizzly bears that demonstrate problematic behavior around humans; however, they will sometimes deem it necessary to put down bears that are likely to continue posing a threat, even if relocated. An estimated 2,000 grizzly bears inhabit regions of western Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and western Montana, with several thousand more found in the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. Grizzlies in the contiguous United States are classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
___ Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming.