Bear Attack Fatality in Yellowstone

[Raven]

First bear attack fatality in 25 years in Yellowstone (officially within the park) although there have been 3 in the area in about a year. Details still being determined:

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=14013493

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/06/137660380/man-killed-by-grizzly-bear-at-yellowstone-park

 

[grouseking]

Wow that is really unfortunate. Question....would they now hunt down and kill the bear? I mean she was just protecting her cubs....

What are the rules regarding that?

 

[griffin]

And if the the decision is to kill the bear, how do they know which bear to kill?

What a horrific experience for his wife

 

[jbrown]

Very unfortunate incident. I feel for the man's wife and their loved ones.

Too bad ABC has chosen to sensationalize the situation, "A killer grizzly is roaming Yellowstone National Park's backcountry after mauling a man..." And later in the article, "They have been known to peel off a man's face with a single swipe of their massive, clawed paws." Come on, is that good reporting, or tabloid fodder?

 

[DrJJFate]

Wow that is really unfortunate. Question....would they now hunt down and kill the bear? I mean she was just protecting her cubs....

I was thinking the same. I sure hope they leave them alone and let them be bears in their habitat.

 

[Chip]

There was just a blurb on NY News Radio that they will not be tracking/killing the bear; that the bear was startled, protecting it's young and acting naturally. Here's an article to that.

 

[Little Rickie]

We'll never know if he dropped to the ground and played dead like his wife, ran and spooked the bear or purposely distracted the bear from his wife?

What would some of you do?

I'd put myself between my wife and the bear and hope for the best...

the grizzly charged them and the man told his wife to run.

The woman told park officials she didn't see the bear attack her husband.

 

[erugs]

The Morning Report from the National Park Service wrote that:

"It appears that the couple spotted a bear approximately 100 yards away and then began walking away from the bear. When they turned around to look, they reportedly saw the female grizzly running down the trail at them. The couple began running, but the bear caught up with them, attacking Matayoshi. The bear then went over to Matayoshi’s wife, who had fallen to the ground nearby."

One of the first lessons taught about bears is not to run, isn't it? The charge might very well have been a bluff? I'm very sorry that happened, and it certainly does make us think about we would or should do in such a situation.