Grizzly bear attack at Grand Teton National Park leaves man seriously injured

Sydney Bishop, CNN
·2-min read

A grizzly bear attack on a man in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park is the second grizzly bear attack in less than a week.

Park officials said they received a report on Sunday about “a 35-year-old male visitor from Massachusetts who was seriously injured by a bear in the area of the Signal Mountain Summit Road,” the National Park Service said in a news release Monday.

Following an investigation, park officials have determined “the incident was a surprise encounter with two grizzly bears.”

The earlier bear attack occurred in the Canadian Rockies.

The man, who was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby ambulance, is in stable condition, according to the park service, and expected to make a full recovery.

With news of the attack still fresh, the park has closed both Signal Mountain Summit Road and Signal Mountain Trail to the general public.

On Thursday, a grizzly bear was found dead in Elkford, British Columbia, after inflicting “significant injuries” on a 36-year-old man who used a firearm to defend himself.

“Officers are confident that they located the bear involved in the attack. The bear succumbed to its wounds,” the British Columbia Conservation Officer Services said.

CNN was able to confirm Sunday the man was also airlifted to a hospital but no update on his condition was given. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police initially reported he sustained broken bones and lacerations.

Adult grizzly bears begin to come out of hibernation in springtime as the winter snowpack dissipates, the park service said in an informational release in April. “They search for available foods and often scavenge animals that died during the winter.”

Since the first grizzly bear sighting in Grand Teton on March 26, what is called “bear season” has begun. “All of Teton County is now in occupied grizzly bear habitat,” the park service said.

Visitors are encouraged to carry bear spray, make noise, be alert, and secure any food, garbage or toiletries. They are also instructed to “not run” upon seeing a bear.

Noting that “bear behavior is complex,” the park service says, “Like people, bears react differently to each situation. Bears may appear tolerant of people and then attack without warning. A bear’s body language can help you determine its mood.”

CNN’s Ashley R. Williams contributed to this report.

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