News

Actions

Boy was injured by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park

Posted at 1:47 PM, Aug 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-24 15:47:05-04

(GREAT FALLS) The bear that attacked a 10-year old boy in Yellowstone National Park has been determined to be an adult female grizzly bear.

A press release from Yellowstone National Park on Friday says that law enforcement and bear management staff investigated the incident and determined that it was an adult female grizzly bear injured the 10-year-old boy from Washington.

Tracks observed by staff indicated the grizzly bear was with at least one cub-of-the-year or yearling bear.

The bears were likely foraging next to the trail when the encounter occurred.  

Park rangers do not intend to search for the bear since this incident was a surprise encounter with a female grizzly bear defending its cub.

"This incident could have been more serious, and they applaud the family for traveling in a group, carrying bear spray, and knowing how to effectively use it during their emergency,” said Yellowstone National Park Deputy Superintendent Pat Kenney. “We wish their son a full recovery from his injuries.”

The Divide and Spring Creek trails remain temporarily closed. They will reopen after the trails have been inspected for recent bear activity.


(1st Report, August 23) A 10-year-old boy was injured by a bear in Yellowstone National Park on Thursday morning.

According to Park officials, a family of four from Washington encountered a bear a half mile up the Divide Trail, southeast of Old Faithful, around 10 a.m. The boy ran away from the bear when it charged out of vegetation towards the family. The bear chased the boy and knocked him to the ground.

Officials stated that the parents effectively deployed bear spray about five feet from the bear’s face. The bear shoot its head and left the area. After the incident, the family walked back to the trailhead, drove to the Old Faithful Ranger Station, and were directed to a nearby clinic.

The 10-year-old sustained an injured wrist, puncture wounds to the back, and wounds around the buttocks. He was transferred to the Big Sky Medical Center.

Yellowstone National Park reported that law enforcement and bear management staff responded immediately to the area and are currently investigating the incident, including for signs that would identify the bear species.

div[data-mml-type=”relatedcategory”]{border: thin solid #e7e7e7;} .categories-right-icon{display: none;} .stories-area > hr{margin: 0px;} .stories-area > iframe {border: white;} div[data-mml-type]{ overflow: hidden; } div[data-mml-status=”draft”] {display: none !important;} div.fb-post span, div.fb-post span iframe{max-width: 100%;} div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].left, div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].left, div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].left{ float: left; position: relative; overflow:hidden; max-width:100%;}div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].right,div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].right,div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].right{ float: right; position: relative; overflow:hidden; max-width:100%;}div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].center,div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].center,div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].center{ width: 100% !important; overflow:hidden; text-align: center;}div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].center iframe,div[data-mml-type=”twitter”].center twitterwidget,div[data-mml-type=”instagram”].center iframe,div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].center iframe{ margin: auto !important;}div[data-mml-type=”facebook”].center > span{ margin: auto !important; display: block !important;} .mml-display-none{display: none !important;} div[data-mml-type=”gmaps”], div[data-mml-type=”youtube”] {position:relative; width:100%; padding-bottom:56.25%;} div[data-mml-type=”gmaps”] iframe, div[data-mml-type=”youtube”] iframe {position:absolute; left:0; top:0;} div[data-embed-type=”clip”],div[data-mml-type=”clip”]{position: relative;padding-bottom: 56.25%;width: 100%;box-sizing: border-box;} div[data-embed-type=”clip”] iframe { position: absolute;}div[data-embed-type=”social”] {position: relative;padding-bottom: 56.25%;width: 100%;box-sizing: border-box;} div[data-embed-type=”social”] iframe,div[data-mml-type=”clip”] iframe { position: absolute;}.frankly-img{max-width:100%;}.mce-item-table{word-break: break-all;}