Second hiker killed by Yellowstone Park grizzly bear this year

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Man Killed By Grizzly Bear At Yellowstone Park

by The Associated Press
July 6, 2011

A man out on a hike with his wife in Yellowstone National Park's backcountry was killed by a female grizzly bear after the couple apparently surprised the bear and its cubs Wednesday, park officials said.

The attack was the first fatal bear mauling in the park since 1986.
...
Investigators have been interviewing the woman about the bear attack, which took place on the Wapiti Lake Trail, close to Canyon Village and near the middle of the park, park spokesman Al Nash said. Park officials haven't taken any action against the bear, he said.

Full text:
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/06/13766...=tw&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

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Re: Man Killed By Grizzly Bear At Yellowstone Park

Re: Man Killed By Grizzly Bear At Yellowstone Park

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=pagetitlecolumn vAlign=top width=572 align=left>Identity of Bear Mauling Victim Released



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<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=448><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit>NPS Photo, Dan Hottle</TD></TR><TR><TD class=caption>Wapiti Lake Trailhead</TD></TR><TR><TD>

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Date: July 7, 2011
Contact: Al Nash, 307-344-2015

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2011-1 PM MDT 11-075
Al Nash or Dan Hottle (307) 344-2015
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE
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Identity Of Bear Mauling Victim Released

A 57-year-old Torrence, California, man has been identified as the victim of a Wednesday morning bear attack in Yellowstone National Park.

Brian Matayoshi, and his wife Marylyn, were hiking Wednesday morning on the Wapiti Lake Trail, which is located off the South Rim Drive, south of Canyon Village and east of the park?s Grand Loop Road.

The couple was hiking west back toward their vehicle. At approximately 11:00 a.m., at a point about a mile and a half from the trailhead, they walked out of a forested area into an open meadow. It appears that the couple spotted a bear approximately 100 yards away and then began walking away from the bear. When they turned around to look, they reportedly saw the female grizzly running down the trail at them. The couple began running, but the bear caught up with them, attacking Mr. Matayoshi. The bear then went over to Mrs. Matayoshi, who had fallen to the ground nearby. The bear bit her daypack, lifting her from the ground and then dropping her. She remained still and the bear left the area.

Mrs. Matayoshi then walked back toward the meadow and attempted, without success, to call 911 on her cell phone. She began to shout for help and was heard by a distant group of hikers who were able to contact 911 by cell phone. Two rangers already in the area on backcountry patrol were contacted by the park Communications Center by radio and responded to the scene of the incident.

Mr. Matayoshi received multiple bite and clawing injuries, and was dead when rangers arrived at the scene at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Rangers immediately closed the hiking trails in the area. A subsequent helicopter patrol of the area failed to turn up any other hikers or backpackers. This small section of the park?s backcountry is expected to remain closed for several days.

The initial investigation suggests the sow grizzly acted in a purely defensive nature to protect her cubs. This female bear is not tagged or collared, and does not apparently have a history of aggression or human interaction.

Typically, the National Park Service does not trap, relocate, or kill a bear under those circumstances. A Board of Review which will include interagency experts will be convened to review the incident.

Bear attacks are extremely rare. No one was hurt by a bear in Yellowstone in 2010. This is the first time a human has been killed by a bear in the park since 1986.

Park visitors are encouraged to stay on designated trails, hike in groups of three or more people, and be alert for bears and make noise in blind spots. Visitors are also encouraged to consider carrying bear pepper spray, which has been shown to be highly successful in stopping aggressive behavior in bears. The Matayoshis were not carrying pepper spray.

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http://www.nps.gov/yell/parknews/11075.htm


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Re: Man Killed By Grizzly Bear At Yellowstone Park

Re: Man Killed By Grizzly Bear At Yellowstone Park

Minimizing the Dangers of a Bear Encounter

Yellowstone is home to both grizzly and black bears. Although the risk of an encounter with a bear is low, there are no guarantees of your safety. Minimize your risks by following the guidelines below:


Make bears aware of your presence on trails by making loud noises such as shouting or singing. This lessens the chance of sudden encounters, which are the cause of most bear-caused human injuries in the park. Hike in groups and use caution where vision is obstructed.

Do not hike after dark.

Avoid carcasses; bears often defend this source of food.
If you encounter a bear, do not run. Bears can run over 30 miles per hour, or 44 feet per second, faster than Olympic sprinters. Running may elicit an attack from otherwise non-aggressive bears. If the bear is unaware of you, detour away from the bear. If the bear is aware of you and nearby, but has not acted aggressively, slowly back away.

Tree climbing to avoid bears is popular advice but not very practical in many circumstances. All black bears, all grizzly cubs, and some adult grizzlies can climb trees. Running to a tree may provoke an otherwise uncertain bear to chase you.

Some bears will bluff their way out of a threatening situation by charging, then veering off or stopping abruptly at the last second. Bear experts generally recommend standing still until the bear stops and then slowly backing away. If a bear makes physical contact, drop to the ground, lie face down, and clasp your hands behind your neck. It may take all the courage you have, but lie still and remain silent. Resistance will only provoke the bear. Before moving, listen and look around carefully to make sure the bear is no longer nearby.




<TABLE border=1 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=4 width="100%" background=../../../parch.jpg><TBODY><TR><TD width="100%">Our backpacking page also has valuable

BEAR SAFETY INFORMATION​

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http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/bearenc.htm​

 

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Second Hiker Killed by Yellowstone Grizzly bear this year

Second Hiker Killed by Yellowstone Grizzly bear this year

Second Hiker Killed by Yellowstone Grizzly

Monday, August 29 2011 20:02 Yellowstone


After recording no deaths from a bear attack in the park since 1986, Yellowstone National Park now has experienced its second hiker killed this year by a grizzly.

Park rangers on Aug. 29, 2011 identified John Wallace, 59, from Chassell, Mich. as the victim of a grizzly attack while he was hiking along the Mary Mountain Trail.

Early Friday afternoon a pair of hikers reported finding what they believed to be the body of a human male along the eastern section of the trail. The 21-mile long trail crosses the center of Yellowstone, connecting the west and east sides of the lower portion of the Grand Loop Road.

More...
http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/20110...cond-hiker-killed-by-yellowstone-grizzly.html

 

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Re: Second hiker killed by Yellowstone Park grizzly bear this year

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=pagetitlecolumn vAlign=top width=572 align=left>Identity Of Dead Hiker Released


</TD><TD class=rightborder width=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=leftborder width=20></TD><TD class=breadcrumbscolumn vAlign=top align=left>

</TD><TD class=rightborder width=8></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--content tables BEGIN--><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentlayouttopborder height=20 vAlign=top width="100%" colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD class=leftborder vAlign=top width=20>

</TD><TD vAlign=top width="100%"><TABLE id=cs_idLayout2 border=0 cellSpacing=0 summary="" cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" id=cs_idCell2x1x1 vAlign=top>Date: August 29, 2011
U.S. Department of the Interior
Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2011 11-090
Al Nash or Dan Hottle (307) 344-2015
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE
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Identity Of Dead Hiker Released
A 59-year old man has been identified as the hiker found dead on a trail in Yellowstone National Park on Friday.

John Wallace was from the community of Chassell, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

His body was discovered Friday morning by two hikers along the Mary Mountain Trail. The twenty-one mile long trail crosses the center of Yellowstone, connecting the west and east sides of the lower portion of the Grand Loop Road.
Wallace was discovered along the trail, about five miles west of the Hayden Valley trailhead, which is off the Grand Loop road between Mud Volcano and Canyon Junction.

Wallace was traveling alone, and had pitched a tent in a park campground sometime Wednesday.

Rangers discovered signs of grizzly bear activity at the scene Friday afternoon, including bear tracks and scat.
Results from an autopsy conducted Sunday afternoon concluded that Wallace died as a result of traumatic injuries from a bear attack.

The Mary Mountain Trail, the Cygnet Lakes Trail, and the section of the Hayden Valley west of the Grand Loop Road have been closed to hikers.

Park rangers, wildlife biologists, and park managers continue their investigation of the incident.

Visitors are advised to stay on designated trails, hike in groups of three or more people, be alert for bears, make noise, carry bear spray, and not to run upon encountering a bear.

Hikers and backcountry users are encouraged to check with staff at park visitor centers or backcountry offices for updated information before planning any trips in the central portion of the park.
- www.nps.gov/yell -

http://www.nps.gov/yell/parknews/11090.htm




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