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Boise man mauled by grizzly bear near West Yellowstone

By Patrick Orr and The Associated Press - porr@idahostatesman.com

Published: 06/10/09


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The medical condition of a Boise man attacked by a grizzly bear Tuesday on a Forest Service road near West Yellowstone is not yet available, but he was able to walk to a trailhead after the attack to get help.

A spokeswoman for the Gallatin National Forest says the 34-year-old man suffered bite wounds to his head, shoulders, arms, torso and one leg after surprising a sow grizzly and her cubs during a solo hike in the forest Tuesday afternoon. The injuries include a broken arm.

Spokeswoman Marna Daley says the man was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Rexburg, Idaho. His name was not immediately released and no report on his condition was available Wednesday.

Daley says the man, who was equipped with bear spray and a pistol, was hiking alone when he stumbled upon the sow grizzly and her cub. The man told authorities the attack happened so quickly he wasn't able to use either the spray or the gun before he got mauled, Daley said.

Preliminary reports indicate the sow battered the man for a short time and then left — typical behavior for a sow protecting her cubs, said Melissa Frost, a spokeswoman for the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks department.

Other details of the attack were not available Wednesday but Daley did say the man was able to walk to a trailhead following the attack, where he flagged down some forest employees, who called 911.

The Gallatin County sheriff's office says deputies found the victim after being sent to a Forest Service road west of West Yellowstone around 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The Forest Service has temporarily closed the area pending an investigation by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Tuesday's surprise encounter between human and grizzly bear was the first one reported in the Gallatin National Forest this year, Daley said.

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