A 73-year-old girl was hospitalized after she was attacked by a bear west of Glacier National Park and simply south of the U.S. Canadian border over the weekend, Montana wildlife officers stated Monday. The attack comes simply two days after a couple was killed by a grizzly bear in Canada and simply weeks after a hunter was mauled by a grizzly in Montana.
The girl, her husband and a canine have been within the Flathead National Forest Sunday afternoon when a bear emerged from thick brush and attacked her, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said. Her husband deployed bear spray, and the bear moved away from the lady, officers stated.
The couple returned to their automobile and drove to a location the place they may name emergency providers at about 3 p.m.
The girl was flown to the hospital in Kalispell for remedy. Wildlife officers had no details about the lady’s medical situation on Monday. Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Dillon Tabish stated. Her identify has not been launched.
The attack occurred on the financial institution of Trail Creek, which is a couple of miles west of the North Fork Road and fewer than 5 miles south of the Canadian border. The space is closed whereas the investigation continues. Officials do not know if a grizzly bear or a black bear was concerned.
The couple owns property within the space, Tabish stated.
The attack got here two days after a grizzly bear attacked and killed a Canadian couple and their canine in Banff National Park in Alberta.
In September, two grizzly bears — a mom and a male cub — have been captured and euthanized in Montana after “a number of conflicts with folks.” Also final month, a hunter in Montana was severely mauled by a grizzly.
Preventing bear assaults
State wildlife officials on Monday reminded the general public that “Montana is bear nation.” In the autumn, bears are energetic for longer intervals as a result of they eat extra meals to arrange for hibernation.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks supplied these tricks to keep away from bear encounters:
- Carry bear spray and be ready to make use of it instantly.
- Make noise to alert bears to your presence and journey in teams.
- Stay away from animal carcasses, which typically entice bears.
- Follow meals storage orders from the relevant land administration company.
- If you encounter a bear, by no means strategy it. Leave the world when it’s protected to take action.
- If you might be attacked by a bear and also you are with no deterrent or the deterrent hasn’t labored, keep face down on the bottom, defending your face and neck along with your arms. Stay nonetheless till you are sure the bear has moved away.
- Keep rubbish, hen feeders, pet meals and different attractants put away in a safe building. Keep rubbish in a safe building till the day it’s collected. Certified bear-resistant rubbish containers are available in lots of areas.
- Never feed wildlife. Bears that change into meals conditioned lose their pure foraging habits and pose threats to human security. It is prohibited to feed bears in Montana.