Woman Dies After ‘Apparent’ Grizzly Bear Attack on Montana Trail

A woman was found dead after an apparent grizzly bear encounter Saturday near Montana’s Yellowstone National Park.

Officials said the victim’s body was discovered on a trail near West Yellowstone, which is a community in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

In a social media post Sunday, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks identified the trail as Buttermilk Trail and “Investigators confirmed grizzly bear tracks at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.”

The post also noted the Custer Gallatin National Forest closed down the area for people as an emergency safety measure and urged visitors to avoid it for the time being.

The agency told people enjoying the outdoors to follow safety steps that include carrying bear spray, travel in groups during daylight hours, avoid carcass sites, look for signs of bears, and make noise to alert bears to the presence of humans.

It further cautioned people never to approach one of the animals.

Woman found dead near Yellowstone National Park after ‘bear encounter’ https://t.co/3AkzHS2YQR pic.twitter.com/FvbjMGrSL4

— New York Post (@nypost) July 24, 2023

“Bears can be found throughout Montana. In recent years, grizzly bear populations have expanded,” the agency said.
On Saturday, the Custer Gallatin National Forest alerted people to the situation and shared a map of the area:

The woman’s body was found in an area hikers frequent. Meanwhile, officials did not confirm the woman’s exact cause of death.

Britannica describes grizzly bears as being a “massive animal with humped shoulders and an elevated forehead that contributes to a somewhat concave profile.”

“The fur is brownish to buff, and the hairs are usually silver- or pale-tipped, giving the grizzled effect for which the bear is named,” the site reads.

In June, a black bear attacked and killed a man in Prescott, Arizona, while he drank coffee on his property, Breitbart News reported, adding the bear was eventually put down.

“My neighbor was out on his porch, and he heard him screaming,” one man said of the incident. “We would never have expected it. It’s crazy.”