One lucky camper at Yellowstone National Park has lived to tell about being mauled by a bear, probably a grizzly. But so far he isn’t talking.
Neither are officials, who are being very tight-lipped about the incident, reporting only that the victim was male (no name or age given); sleeping in a tent; received bite and claw marks on his arm; was taken to a Cody, Wyo. hospital. No further news of his condition is available.
The U.S. Forest Service closed two Gallatin National Forest campgrounds as a precaution: Soda Butte, where the camper was attacked and nearby Chief Joseph campground. Several people were evacuated from the sites as well. These sites are a few miles from Yellowstone’s northeast entrance, along U.S. Hwy. 212 in Montana.
Grizzly bears often attack campers in their search for food, but it appears this should not have been the case as the camper had stored his food properly.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks now will decide what to do about the bear. Until it is identified and possibly relocated to a more remote area, the campgrounds will remain closed.
The extensive Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872, is America’s first national park. It is located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
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