Bear-caused human fatality In Yellowstone Park

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msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 1 hour 8 minutes ago 2011-07-06T22:41:44
A man hiking with his wife on a Yellowstone National Park trail was mauled to death by a bear on Wednesday, the National Park Service said, noting it was the first such fatality in 25 years.

..The couple was about a mile and a half into the Wapiti Lake Trail when they came across a grizzly sow with cubs.

"In an apparent attempt to defend a perceived threat to her cubs, the bear attacked and fatally wounded the man," the park service said in a statement. "Another group of hikers nearby heard the victim’s wife crying out for help, and used a cell phone to call 911. Park rangers were summoned and quickly responded to the scene."

"Patrols are underway to clear the area of all backcountry users," it added. "All trails and backcountry campsites in the area have been closed until further notice."

The victim's name was withheld pending notification of family members.

"Our heart goes out to the family and friends of the victim as they work to cope with their loss," said Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk.

No Yellowstone visitors were injured by bears in 2010, the park service noted. "This is the first bear-caused human fatality in Yellowstone since 1986," it added.

Park spokesman Al Nash said park officials have not euthanized or tried to relocate the bear.

A mother grizzly did kill one man and injure two other people in an unusual night-time attack on sleeping campers just outside Yellowstone in Montana last July.

That bear was later trapped and destroyed because the attacks were considered to be unprovoked.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report

A few years back, we were working in Montana and had the opportunity to drive up to Glacier Nat'l Park for a day. While reading the signs about bear attacks, we were discussing what the four of us would do. The other three were arguing about outrunning everyone. I said "you only need to outrun one person, and I will trip the one in front of me". They still don't know if I was serious or not.

Three posts from peeer have been deleted, and I'm in the process now of banning the member.

Tater

Thanks Tater. That stuff is just annoying.