YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – A popular trail at Yellowstone National Park is closed until further notice after a bear attacked a hiker on Tuesday afternoon.
The hiker, 29, was walking on the Turbid Lake Trail on the eastern side of the park when he encountered the bear, according to the National Park Service (NPS).
He used bear spray on the animal but ultimately suffered significant injuries to his chest and left arm.
Park medics responded to the incident and assisted the hiker, whose injuries were non-life-threatening, the NPS noted. The hiker was helped to the Turbid Lake trailhead, where he was then flown to a hospital for treatment.
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The species of the bear is yet to be determined. The hiker believed the animal was a black bear, but its behavior, size and location are leading officials to consider that it might have been a grizzly bear instead.
Bear management officials will use DNA analysis to confirm the species, if possible.
In the meantime, bear management staff are sweeping Turbid Lake Trail to make sure no other hikers are on the trail, the NPS said.
Officials believe the incident was a defensive reaction by the bear during the surprise encounter with the hiker. Because of this, management action will not be taken against the bear.
This is the first bear incident in Yellowstone in over four years. The last one occurred in May 2021, when a solo hiker was attacked on the Beaver Ponds Trail at the northern end of the park.
Officials urge park visitors to be bear aware to help avoid surprise bear encounters. They provided the following guidelines:
Grizzly bears and black bears coexist in Yellowstone, according to the NPS. Grizzly bears can be quite large with males growing up to 700 pounds, while black bears are typically smaller with males growing up to about 315 pounds.
Officials noted that all bears are potentially dangerous.
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