Seasoned Yellowstone National Park Hiker Killed By Grizzly Bear While Hiking Off Trail Near Lake Village

A man whose name had not been released has been killed in Yellowstone National Park by a grizzly bear. The man, a fifth season employee, was found dead off trail near the Elephant Back loop trail which is very popular with Lake Village employees. His body was found partially consumed and cached on Friday August 7th. A preliminary report confirms that the man has defensive marks on his forearms confirming a bear attack. The bears involved are possibly a sow with a cub of the year. There has been a large amout of rain in the park so collecting evidence in the investigation may be very hard. An official autopsy is scheduled for Monday.

Here is a list of bear related deaths throughout the history of Yellowstone National Park taken from

(http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/injuries.htm)

During the 140-year (1872-2011) history of Yellowstone National Park, seven people have been killed by bears in the park. More people in the park have died from drowning, burns (after falling into thermal pools), and suicide than have been killed by bears. To put it in perspective, the probability of being killed by a bear in the park (7 incidents) is only slightly higher than the probability of being struck and killed by lightning (5 incidents).

• August 2011 - a day hiker, hiking by himself, was killed by a grizzly bear on the Mary Mountain Trail in Hayden Valley.
• July 2011 - a day hiker in a party of two was killed by an adult female grizzly bear with 2 cubs on the Wapiti Lake Trail in Hayden Valley.
• October 1986 - a photographer was killed by an adult female grizzly bear near Otter Creek in Hayden Valley.
• July 1984 - a grizzly bear killed a backpacker in a backcountry campsite located at the southern end of White Lake near Pelican Valley.
• June 1972 - an old adult female grizzly bear killed a man in an illegally established camp. The man surprised the bear when he returned to his campsite at night. The bear was in his camp feeding on food that he had left out unsecured in the campsite.
• August 1942 - a bear killed a woman at night in the Old Faithful campground. The species of bear involved was not determined.
• 1916 - a grizzly bear killed a man in a roadside camp.
• A possible fatality supposedly occurred in 1907 when a man was attacked by a female grizzly bear after he prodded her cub with an umbrella. The account of the incident appeared in a popular book, "Book of a Hundred Bears" published in 1909 by F.D. Smith. However, the validity of this incident is questionable as there is no mention of it in official park reports or local newspapers from 1907. The "Book of a Hundred Bears" contains many stories without providing back-up documentation. The 1907 story appears to be an unsubstantiated legend.

 

To avoid conflicts with bears always make noise while hiking especially around blind corners and in thick wooded areas, hike in large groups and carry bear spray and know how to use it.

Bear spray does no good in your pack, have it accessible at all times!!!

 

Not a photo of this incident.



New Black Bear Video Shows What Not To Do! Be Bear Aware People!!!

WOW! That's all I can say after seeing the video of the mother black bear and her three cubs being harassed by tourists in Yellowstone National Park (YNP)!  Check it out for yourself.

I do not agree with the title of this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HslURrpRgGE

Many media sources have reported on this video and said that tourists are being chased by the bears. This is definitely NOT the case. These bears are trapped on the bridge located east of Tower Junction in what is known as a Bear Jam. As you can see from the video there are cars parked on BOTH sides of the bridge. There are no natural escape routes for the bears, they are on a man made bridge over the Yellowstone River. Isn't the point of seeing wildlife in a place like Yellowstone to see the animals in thier natural habitat?

The top ten things to know about YNP are on the front page of thier quarterly newsletter:

1. Give wildlife a brake: Top speed in YNP is 45mph
2. Watch wildlife from pullouts: Don't impede traffic.
3. Campfires in designated areas only.
4. DO NOT APPROACH WILDLIFE.
5. Do not feed ANY wild animals.
6. Stay on designated trails and boardwalks.
7. Unmanned aircrafts (Drones) prohibited.
8. BE BEAR AWARE: Hike in groups, DON'T RUN under ANY circumstances!
9. Control your pet.
10. Cell phone service may not be available.

Three of the top ten things to know were disregarded by the people in the video. This information is offered to everyone coming into the park. I wonder how many people actually read it?

PLEASE BE MORE BEAR AWARE PEOPLE!!!

There are two different kinds of bears in the area. The black bear and grizzly bear. Luckily these tourists did not trap a grizzly bear on the bridge or the outcome could have been very different.

A few Bear Facts:

In Yellowstone National Park you must be at least 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from all other large wildlife. These people look to be 5 feet away and should be fined.
There were two grizzly related deaths in the park in 2011, four years ago.
Bears can run up to 35 miles per hour over varied terrain, much faster than humans.
There are an estimated 150 grizzly bears that make YNP thier home and over 1,000 black bears.
Male grizzly bears can weight up to 700lbs, females up to 400lbs.
Male black bears can weigh up to 320 lbs, females up to 200lbs.
Both are much stronger than humans!
Never turn and run from bears, people in the video were doing the opposite of what they should have.

If you live in the area or are just visiting PLEASE be aware that these are WILD ANIMALS!!! Yellowstone National Park is not a ZOO it's a park set aside "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people". Not the harassment of wildlife.

Yellowstone National Park's Mission Statement is:

 

Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and the majority of the world’s geysers and hot springs. An outstanding mountain wildland with clean water and air, Yellowstone is home of the grizzly bear and wolf and free-ranging herds of bison and elk. Centuries-old sites and historic buildings that reflect the unique heritage of America’s first national park are also protected. Yellowstone National Park serves as a model and inspiration for national parks throughout the world.

Please be part of that model and help preserve this place, it is wild, epic and amazing!!!
Hopefully this video serves as an example of what not to do. People need to respect this place and all of the amazing things that make Yellowstone National Park the place it is so that all generations to come can enjoy it as we do today!