(UPDATE, JULY 8, 2021) The Powell County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday identified 65-year-old Leah Davis Lokan of Chico, California, as the woman who died. Click here for the latest information.
(JULY 7, 2021) A grizzly bear killed a person on Tuesday morning in the small town of Ovando, and authorities are continuing to search for the bear.
The road leading into Ovando has been blocked since early Tuesday morning as Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks investigates the attack.
FWP sent its Human Attack Response Team to investigate the incident; the Powell County Sheriff’s Office is assisting with the investigation.
Authorities say the victim was traveling with a group of cyclists and was camping in the area overnight.
FWP has been searching for the bear, but as of Tuesday afternoon, it hasn’t been located.
FWP spokesman Greg Lemon says they believe this particular grizzly was active in town Monday night. “We had some video camera footage from a local business in town of a grizzly bear walking through town on Monday night, also there was a grizzly bear that got into a chicken coop Monday night and then this incident, so we believe it’s all the same grizzly bear.”
The Powell County Sheriff's Office posted on Facebook: "Traps have been set in the area and searching will continue by ground and in the air with the priority of keeping the public safe from another encounter. Campsites in Ovando have been closed until Sunday and we encourage anyone in the area to be cautious and aware that as of now the bear in question has not been located."
The name of the victim has not yet been released. We will update you as we get more details.
(1st REPORT, 9:44 a.m.) State wildlife officials have confirmed that a person was killed by a grizzly bear on Tuesday in Ovando. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Greg Lemon told MTN News the incident happened between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. in the Ovando area.
An FWP response team, including wildlife biologists and law enforcement, has been dispatched to the scene to investigate. Details about the victim and the exact location of the attack are not available at this time.
Lemon says a camera on a business captured an image of a grizzly bear in town on Monday night and there is a report of a chicken coop that was broken into. It’s not clear yet if the incidents are connected, according to Lemon.
We will update you as we get more information.
