A solo hiker suffered “significant” injuries after being mauled by a bear in Yellowstone National Park — causing officials to shut down the trail he was on, according to authorities.
The 29-year-old man had a “surprise encounter” with the beast while hiking alone near the picturesque Turbid Lake on Tuesday afternoon, the park said in a statement.
He immediately whipped out bear spray but the bear still attacked the man, causing him “significant but non-life-threatening injuries” to his chest and left arm, authorities said.
The National Park Service transported the hiker, whose name has not been released, in an ambulance to a local clinic before airlifting him to a nearby hospital.
“Because this incident was a defensive reaction by the bear during a surprise encounter, the park will not be taking any management action against the bear,” the NPS said.
The hiker thought the hulking animal was a black bear, but authorities believe it was likely a grizzly bear based on its size and behavior.
The specific gender and species of bear has not yet been confirmed, but adult male grizzlies can weigh up to 600 pounds, and adult females up to 350 pounds.
The Turbid Lake Trail has been closed until further notice as bear management staff sweep to make sure all hikers are cleared out, the park added.
The incident is the first involving a bear injuring a person in Yellowstone since 2021, authorities said.
Carl Mock, 40, suffered a massive stroke and died in April 2021, two days after a bear weighing at least 420 pounds mauled him while he was fishing near Baker’s Hole campground at Yellowstone, according to an online fundraiser.
Other hikers have been injured or even killed in bear attacks on the outskirts of the 3,472 square mile national park.
Avid hiker Amy Adamson was mauled by a grizzly bear while hiking on a Montana trail just west of Yellowstone National Park in July 2023.
Officials confirmed she had “encountered” a grizzly based on the tracks the animal left in the area where her body was found.
The latest attack remains under investigation.
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