Woman found dead after grizzly bear encounter near Yellowstone National Park
Woman found dead after grizzly bear encounter near Yellowstone National Park
Last week, Montana wildlife authorities warned of confirmed grizzly sightings throughout the state and urged campers and visitors to exercise caution.
July 24, 2023, 12:31 AM EDT / Source: Associated Press
By The Associated Press
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — A woman was found dead in Montana on Saturday after coming into contact with a grizzly bear on a trail west of Yellowstone National Park.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a statement on Sunday that the woman was found deceased on a trail near West Yellowstone, a Montana town nestled in the Custer Gallatin National Forest just west of Yellowstone National Park.
They said the woman was found deceased “following an apparent bear encounter” based on what investigators determined were grizzly bear tracks at the scene. The department said the investigation into the grizzly attack was ongoing.
Rangers issued an emergency closure of the area where the woman was found, which is popular with hikers. ... Though the department’s statement said the death appeared to have followed the woman’s interaction with the bear, it did not confirm her cause of death. ... The attack comes amid a rise in Montana’s grizzly bear population and an increase in sightings.
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Last edited Mon Jul 24, 2023, 08:22 AM - Edit history (1)
And good morning!
The western and northern edges of the park are actually in Montana which means that three of the main entrances are in Montana until you get about two miles inside the park and a little corner in the SW of the park is in Idaho.
The town of West Yellowstone is real sketchy about this kind of news because they fear they might lose five bucks from people been scared off. To the Chamber of Commerce there; anyone or anything that might cause one person with five bucks to not spend it in town is something that should be downplayed to the hilt. They will not tell you, when planning your snowmobile vacation that there isn't any snow and probably won't be during their stay. They would rather people show up and get pissed because they will still spend money while they are there. Tourism is turning into a bad social problem. So they will downplay the dangers of bear country until you get there and then it's more of an invitation to hear a suggestion that you are not safe in bear territory unless you protect yourself in specific ways. It's so stupid and greedy.
This issue, sadly, is entirely in my wheelhouse as my last couple jobs were about wildlife and bear safety in this region. Actually, predators were my focus, bears fall in that category.
A grizzly was sighted near Big Timber last week, that's interesting to me. I would love to see them gain more territory but humans won't allow it.
