A woman was found dead in Montana on Saturday after coming into contact with a grizzly bear on a trail west of Yellowstone National Park.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a statement on Sunday that the woman was found deceased on a trail near West Yellowstone, a Montana town nestled in the Custer Gallatin National Forest just west of Yellowstone National Park.

They said the woman was found deceased “following an apparent bear encounter” based on what investigators determined were grizzly bear tracks at the scene. The department said the investigation into the grizzly attack was ongoing.

Rangers issued an emergency closure of the area where the woman was found, which is popular with hikers.

Though the department's statement said the death appeared to have followed the woman's interaction with the bear, it did not confirm her cause of death.

The attack comes amid a rise in Montana's grizzly bear population and an increase in sightings.

The department put out a news release last week warning visitors that staff had confirmed grizzly bear sightings throughout the state, “particularly in areas between the Northern Continental Divide and the Great Yellowstone ecosystems.”

They implored those camping and visiting parks to carry bear spray, store their food while outside and tend to their garbage.

Share:
More In General News
Jane Birkin, French Icon and Hermes Namesake, Dies at 76
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Birkin as a “complete artist,” noting that her soft voice went hand-in-hand with her “ardent” activism. Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak called Birkin “the most French British person" and “the emblem for a whole epoch who never went out of fashion."
Federal Judge Rules Oregon’s Tough New Gun Law Is Constitutional
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut ruled that banning large capacity magazines and requiring a permit to purchase a gun falls in line with “the nation’s history and tradition of regulating uniquely dangerous features of weapons and firearms to protect public safety," Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
GOP AGs Move Anti-Affirmative Action Fight to the Workplace
The court’s ruling applies to higher education institutions and other entities that receive federal funding and doesn’t directly change private employer obligations, but business leaders might pull back diversity, equity and inclusion programs to avoid lawsuits.
SAG-AFTRA Members Officially on Strike
Members of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union officially went on strike Friday after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Cheddar News explains.
Load More