Officials shut down a portion of Grand Teton National Park after a grizzly bear seriously injured a man Sunday.
A grizzly bear mauled a 35-year-old man from Massachusetts while he was on Signal Mountain Summit Road, a scenic hiking route. Grand Teton National Park rangers and Teton County Search and Rescue responded to the report of the injured man and airlifted him by helicopter to an ambulance that transported him to a nearby hospital, according to a National Park Service news release.
The individual is reportedly in stable condition and expected to recover.
A grizzly bear attacked and seriously injured a man in western Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, prompting closure of a mountain there. https://t.co/Jv1zN1yxuQ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 21, 2024
The incident occurred in Grand Teton National Park, just South of the popular Yellowstone National Park.
“Based on initial reports from the injured visitor and preliminary information conducted as part of an ongoing investigation of the site, law enforcement rangers and park biologists believe the incident was a surprise encounter with two grizzly bears, with one of the bears contacting and injuring the visitor,” the National Park Service wrote.
Park officials temporarily closed the area where the man was mauled. (RELATED: Man Arrested For Allegedly Kicking Bison While Drunk)
To avoid incidents such as this one, the National Park Service encourages visitors to never leave food unattended, keep a clean camp, make plenty of noise, store garbage properly, carry bear spray and stay at least 100 yards away from bears if possible.
In a separate incident May 5, police believe a bear dragged the body of a dead man into the woods after a fatal car accident in Massachusetts.
