Hiker injured by grizzly in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park reported that a solo hiker was injured by a grizzly bear while hiking on the Beaver Ponds Trail at Mammoth Hot Springs on Friday.

He sustained injuries, mostly to the lower parts of his body, although he was able to hike out of the area on his own, authorities said. The 39-year-old hiker was about 1.5 miles from the trailhead, according to a press release by Yellowstone National Park. The trailhead originates on the Old Gardiner Road.

The hiker encountered what he told authorities was two grizzly bears. One of them attacked, and the hiker “sustained significant injuries,” the press release said. The man was transported via ambulance to a Livingston hospital.

It was the first grizzly attack reported in nearly a year. The last incident was in June 2020, when a grizzly bear knocked a woman to the ground and scratched her thigh.

The Beaver Ponds Trail is closed until further notice as bear management staff are sweeping the area to ensure no other hikers are on the trail

Yellowstone National Park reminds visitors and residents to be “bear aware,” which includes:

• Stay 100 yards away from bears at all times.
• Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
• Be alert. See the bear before you surprise it. Watch for fresh tracks, scat, and feeding sites (signs of digging, rolled rocks, torn up logs, ripped open ant hills).
• Make noise.
• Hike in groups of three or more people.
• Don’t hike at dawn, dusk, or at night, when grizzlies are most active.
• Don’t run from a bear.