A camper was killed, and a man and woman were injured in bear attacks
early Wednesday morning at a campground on the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park,
according to news reports. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP)
Department spokesman Ron Aasheim told Reuters that one bear was believed
to be involved and there were at least two tents left in tatters. It
was not known whether the bear was a grizzly or a black bear.
The attacks were reported at about 4 a.m. at the Soda Butte
campground in the Gallatin National Forest on the northern edge of
Yellowstone near Bozeman, Mont. The names of the three victims were not
disclosed. The injured woman reportedly sustained severe cuts from
bites on her arms, while the injured man was bitten on his calf.
Soda Butte is a popular spot for trout fishing. The campground was
evacuated, Aasheim told Reuters, and nearby campgrounds were also
closed. Wildlife officials searched for the bear by helicopters and
airplanes.
The Billings Gazette reported that six culvert traps were set,
including two in the immediate area where the man who died had been tent
camping.
Sam Sheppard, warden captain for FWP’s Bozeman office, told the
Gazette: “Our hope is that it is in the area and will return this
evening, and then we’ll have some answers as to why. … The odds of the
bear coming back to the campground are pretty good, I think.”
