GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) has shared new information about Sunday’s bear attack in the park.
GTNP Chief of Staff Jeremy Barnum provided the following information to Buckrail via email.
The 35-year-old visitor was hiking off-trail in the backcountry near Signal Mountain, in a densely forested area. He was carrying bear spray and “intentionally making noise based on posted bear safety information from the National Park Service,” according to Barnum. Suddenly, the man saw a “smaller” grizzly bear running away at a close distance.
“As he reached for his bear spray, he saw a larger bear in his peripheral view charging toward him,” Barnum’s email said. “While he was able to remove his bear spray from his holster, due to the suddenness and speed of the encounter he did not have time to deploy it. Just as the larger bear made contact with him, he intentionally fell to the ground on his stomach to attempt to play dead. He interlaced his fingers behind his neck with the bear spray canister caught in one of his fingers. The bear bit him several times before ultimately puncturing the bear spray can. When the canister burst, the bears immediately departed the scene.”
The injured man was able to get himself to an area with cell service. His call reached the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 4:02 p.m. GTNP rangers provided emergency medical assistance at the scene while the Teton County Search and Rescue helicopter flew to the scene. The victim has since been released from the hospital, and Barnum noted that the man is expected to make a full recovery.
“Despite experiencing a traumatic event, the injured visitor has been helpful in determining what took place,” Barnum wrote.
On Monday, May 20, park rangers and wildlife biologists invested the site of the attack. Investigators said it was likely that the bear involved was an adult female grizzly with at least one older cub. They have not yet identified the exact bears involved.
“It appears that this was a defensive action by the bear in response to a surprise encounter,” Barnum’s email said. “An area closure remains in place in response to the incident. No further management action is warranted at this time.”
Remember: All of Grand Teton National Park is occupied bear habitat and visitors should expect the possibility of encountering a bear. When exploring the backcountry, be alert and aware of surroundings, make noise, keep bear spray readily accessible and hike in groups of three or more. In the event of a bear encounter, do not run, back away slowly.
