Bear attack – Syndication Server

Search fails to locate grizzly bear responsible for Montana attack

A Montana field investigation following the Sept. 8 mauling of a man by a grizzly bear has failed to locate a dead or injured bear.

A Montana field investigation following the Sept. 8 mauling of a man by a grizzly bear has failed to locate the bear believed responsible for the attack.

Rudy Noorlander was seriously injured during the attack in the Madison Range south of Big Sky. He remains in critical but stable condition.

One of Noorlander’s companions fired at the bear moments after it attacked, causing the animal to flee.

KateLynn Noorlander, Rudy’s daughter, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for medical costs. She stated that her father was trying to help hunters locate a deer they had shot when the bear charged him during a surprise encounter.

“Rudy aimed his gun at the bear but his firearm misfired, making his best choice of defense his fists as he did not have any time to get his bear spray from his backpack,” KateLynn stated in the GoFundMe post.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks explained Wednesday in a news release that an aerial search failed to locate a dead or injured bear.

“FWP grizzly bear specialists and game wardens, as well deputies from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, revisited the attack site Tuesday,” FWP stated. “They searched the area near the attack site from the ground and with an infrared drone and didn’t locate a dead or wounded bear.

“However, they found signs of high bear activity, including the remains of a cached animal carcass, whitebark pine middens and bear scat. This evidence indicates the bear attacked defensively in a surprise, close encounter with the victim.”

The investigation has concluded but the area remains under an emergency closure implemented by the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

Yellowstone-area grizzly bear linked to fatal mauling euthanized

A grizzly bear linked to a fatal mauling in July was euthanized Saturday after it broke into a house near West Yellowstone.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks was called to the residence after the bear broke a window to enter the house and steal a container of dog food.

FWP staff and local law enforcement trapped the bear and her cub Saturday evening. With approval from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the adult bear was shot and killed.

The bear was a 10-year-old female known to biologists and believed responsible for a fatal attack on a woman on the Buttermilk Trail near West Yellowstone in July.

According to FWP, the same bear injured a hiker in Idaho in 2020.

The FWP stated in a Wednesday news release:

“While both incidents were assessed to be defensive responses by the bear, multiple efforts to trap and remove the bear were made after the fatal attack in July due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds and a high-use OHV trail system. These efforts were unsuccessful.”

The 46-pound grizzly bear cub is being held at a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Helena and will likely end up at a zoo.

West Yellowstone is just outside the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of the National Park Service

Woman killed in apparent grizzly bear attack near Yellowstone

A woman was found deceased Saturday on a trail near the Montana town of West Yellowstone, the apparent victim of a grizzly bear attack.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced Sunday that the body was discovered on the Buttermilk Trail, and that grizzly bear tracks were found nearby.

The Custer Gallatin National Forest has temporarily closed the area – about eight miles west of West Yellowstone – to recreational activities.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said more details would be released when they become available, and that the case was under investigation.

The agency cautioned anyone entering bear country to avoid hiking alone and to keep bear spray close at hand.

West Yellowstone is just outside the West Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of the National Park Service

Colorado sheepherder hospitalized after bear attack

A Colorado sheepherder is recovering from a bear attack that left him with bite wounds to the head and multiple lacerations and scratches.

The Tuesday incident, at about 1 a.m. in the Weminuche Wilderness northeast of Durango, marked the state’s first bear attack this year.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the 35-year-old man reported waking to sounds of a black bear interacting with sheep.

He fired a rifle at the bear moments before it charged. After the attack, the man crawled into his tent and contacted his cousin, asking for help.

The man was airlifted to Mercy Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Grand Junction for surgery.

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife collected DNA samples from the victim and at the scene near the Burnt Timber Trail. Officers found the man’s rifle and two dead sheep near a trail of blood.

CPW, with help from the Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, initiated a search and located what they believed to be the offending bear.

An APHIS officer shot and killed the animal.

CPW stated in a news release: “Because the bear made contact with a human, it is classified under CPW policy as an attack and the agency’s policy is to euthanize the bear.”

CPW Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta added: “This is a difficult part of the job. But when it comes to injuries to humans as a result of a predator attack, human health and safety is our top priority.”

The bear, an adult male weighing about 250 pounds, had sustained chest wounds but CPW had not determined whether they were from the victim’s rifle.

The bear’s stomach contents contained sheep wool but Archuleta said, “Until we get results back from the lab regarding DNA testing, we can’t 100% confirm that this is the offending bear. But based on the information we have at this point, we feel confident that it is the offending bear.”

–Generic black bear image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Rare bear attack in Vermont foiled with a flashlight; ‘it was terrifying’

A woman who stepped outside her condominium complex to let her dog out Wednesday night was attacked by a bear after the dog treed a cub.

A woman who stepped outside her condominium complex to let her dog out Wednesday night was attacked by a momma bear after the dog chased a cub up a tree.

Sarah Dietl, 43, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in what was an extremely rare bear attack in Vermont, according to the Brattleboro Reformer and VTDigger. The state had seen only four others in its history before this one, which was the second this year.

The bear charged Dietl and knocked her down. It then had Dietl’s head in its jaws.

“She came running out of the dark,” Dietl told the Reformer. “She ran right to me. It was terrifying.”

Her partner, Robert Montuoro, heard her cries for help, stepped outside and smacked the bear in the head with the heavy duty flashlight he had been carrying. The bear let go of Dietl, who with Montuoro hurried inside.

But the bear hadn’t given up the fight.

“Once I pulled Sarah into the house, the bear charged the door,” Montouro told the Reformer. They slammed the door in its face and called 911. “I was…terrified.”

Dietl was taken to Southern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington where she received 15 staples in her scalp and was treated for a “mangled” hand, cuts to her face and a gash in her side. She was released Thursday.

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The incident in Winhall occurred at 10 o’clock. Game wardens searched nearly 3½ hours for the bear and its cubs, and the couple’s dog before giving up; they resumed the next morning.

The dog, a Shih Tzu, came back home later Thursday morning and was unharmed.

Black bear attacks family on trail, critically injuring two women

A family on a sunset hike Monday in British Columbia, Canada, fell under vicious attack by a black bear, leaving two of the four family members critically injured

A family on a sunset hike Monday in British Columbia, Canada, was run down by a black bear that critically injured two of the four family members.

Both victims were women, aged 30 and 48, the according to the CBC.

A third family member, a teenage boy, suffered less serious injuries after being swatted by the bear, according to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.

The attack, which is under investigation, occurred on the Wolverine Trail near Dawson Creek.

“They turned to run and the bear chased after them,” the COS explained. “One woman was attacked by the bear, while another woman and teenage boy were also injured trying to help.”

The COS and Royal Canadian Mountain Police responded to the attack site and found the bear guarding the two female victims. RCMP shot and killed the bear, an adult male.

“No additional bears were located during a sweep of the area,” the COS stated, adding that a necropsy will be conducted on the bear.

All three victims were hospitalized. The trail and surrounding area were closed to the public after the incident.

Bear pins man to ground in late-night attack in his backyard

A Colorado man investigating a noise in his backyard late Saturday night startled a bear, which knocked him over and held him down.

A Colorado man investigating a noise in his backyard late Saturday night startled a bear, which knocked him down and pinned him to the ground.

The victim used one arm to protect his face while grabbing his gun with the other and shooting three times, scaring the bear away, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Family members took the victim to the hospital where he was treated for minor injuries to his hand, arm and chest. He was released from the hospital early Sunday morning.

“In addition to injuries to his hand and arm, the victim also received bruising on his chest from the bear holding him down on the ground,” the CPW stated.

The man told CPW that he had seen a bear in his yard the previous two nights.

This was the second bear attack in New Castle this year. According to The Denver Post, the first attack happened in August and also took place in a backyard, where a sow and three cubs were in trees. A woman went outside to cover a hot tub and was attacked.

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“This is an unfortunate reminder that we need to be vigilant and ‘bear aware’ at all times,” Area Wildlife Manager Kirk Oldham said in response to Saturday’s attack. “We continue to see a lot of bear activity during the overnight hours as bears prepare for hibernation.

“Easy access to food sources, such as trash and fruit from trees that have fallen to the ground, will attract bears. Simple steps like picking up fruit and removing any attractants around your home are important in preventing incidents like this.”

The attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. CPW was notified about it by the staff of the local hospital. Wildlife officers arrived on the scene around 2 a.m. Sunday to search for the bear, but heavy rain made it difficult to locate a possible blood trail to track the bear.

Garfield County Sheriff’s Office deputies assisted using a drone with infrared sensors to search for the bear. The search continued throughout the day Sunday without success.

The victim was unsure whether any of his three shots actually hit the bear. But the CPW asks the New Castle community to contact Colorado State Patrol if an injured or dead bear is spotted.

Generic bear photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

Bear strikes tourist in Alaska in ‘extremely rare’ city encounter

A tourist in Anchorage sustained minor injuries Sunday night when a black bear swatted at her several times and made contact twice.

A tourist in Anchorage sustained minor injuries Sunday night when a black bear swatted at her several times and made contact twice in what a wildlife official called an “extremely rare” encounter on the city’s extensive urban trail system.

The unidentified victim was walking near Mile 7 of the popular Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in the Point Woronzof area near the runway of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport around 6 o’clock, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The woman and a bicyclist spotted the bear about 50 yards away and it kept walking down the trail in their direction as they retreated. It then wandered in the woods parallel to the trail about 25 yards away.

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“The victim felt that the bear had stopped walking in her direction, so she stopped at this sign that was alongside the trail and then the bear popped out at the sign,” Dave Battle, Anchorage area wildlife biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, told ADN.

“And the victim and the bear circled the sign for several minutes. The lady was trying to keep the sign between her and the bear.”

The bear then began swatting at the woman, striking her twice.

Battle described the woman as “remarkably calm” and said, “She didn’t try to run from the bear or anything like that, she kept the sign between her and the bear and was just trying to scare it off.”

Eventually, it was the noise made by people nearby that caused the bear to halt its attack and wander off.

Battle didn’t think the woman sought immediate medical attention.

It’s extremely rare for bears to interact with humans on the city’s extensive urban trail system, Battle told ADN.

“We don’t know exactly what it was doing, but the fact that it came that close and was having that kind of an interaction, kept circling the sign — we don’t know whether it was predatory behavior for sure, but it’s certainly behavior we don’t want to see in a black bear,” Battle told ADN.

A woman was injured Sunday night when a black bear swatted at her in what wildlife officials called a highly unusual encounter on Anchorage’s Coastal Trail. https://t.co/YBXKYK3N5o

— Anchorage Daily News (@adndotcom) August 15, 2022

A sign was posted on the trail stating, “An adult black bear approached a hiker and made contact, inflicting minor injuries. Incident occurred near Mile 7. Use this trail with caution, pay attention to surroundings, and carry bear spray.”

According to the ADFG, Anchorage residents share the municipality with up to 350 American black bears and up to 65 brown bears.

This was the first report of a bear encounter like this in that area this year. But an Army soldier was attacked and killed, and another soldier was injured in a remote area of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in May. And a man was wounded in an Eagle River attack. Both involved brown bears with cubs.

Photo courtesy of Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Grizzly bear attacks hiker in surprise encounter; no time to react

An experienced recreationist was hiking at high elevation in Wyoming when he surprised a grizzly bear, prompting an attack.

An experienced recreationist was hiking at high elevation in Wyoming when he surprised a grizzly bear, prompting an attack that gave him no time to react.

The unidentified victim was hiking Francs Peak west of Meeteetse when the encountered occurred Monday afternoon, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The man was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Billings, Montana, where he received treatment. The extent of his injuries was unknown.

“We wish the individual a full and speedy recovery,” Cody Regional Wildlife Supervisor Corey Class said.

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The press release did not give details about the call for help and whether the victim was hiking alone or with somebody.

The Park County Sheriff’s Office notified the WGFD about the attack, which happened too suddenly for the victim to deploy bear spray.

The WGFD and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were gathering further details Tuesday.

“Based on the information gathered during the initial investigation, Game and Fish plans no management action at this time,” the press release stated. “Game and Fish will continue to monitor bear activity in the area and will make management decisions in the best interest of public safety.”

Generic photo of a grizzly courtesy of the National Park Service.

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Watch: Man wrestles bear in harrowing porch encounter

A Florida man was injured Wednesday while trying to protect his dogs from what he thought was a larger dog that had entered his porch, but turned out to be a bear.

A Florida man was injured Wednesday while trying to protect his dogs from what he thought was a larger dog, but turned out to be a bear.

The accompanying footage shows the bear breaching the porch entrance in an apparent attempt to catch the closest dog, and the man dropping to his knees and wrestling the animal back outside the porch doorway.

During the scuffle, the bear claws and bites the man, who appears stunned after he had hurriedly placed a bench at the doorway entrance as a barrier.

“Oh my god, I was just attacked by a bear!” he appears to scream in the footage, which is repeated in slow motion.

The video was shared Friday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which stated on Facebook that the man’s injuries were not life-threatening and that all the noise helped persuade the bear to leave.

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The harrowing incident occurred at the man’s Daytona Beach residence at about 7:30 p.m. The dogs were not injured.

The FWC stated in a news release that the agency is searching for the bear and that the animal will be euthanized if it’s captured “since it poses a threat to human safety.”

The FWC added that this was the second time within the past week that a bear had injured a Florida resident.