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- 29-year-old man attacked by bear in Yellowstone National Park (abcnews.go.com)
A hiker is recovering after a bear encounter in Yellowstone National Park left him with injuries to his chest and left arm. The 29-year-old man, hiking alone on the Turbid Lake Trail, was surprised by what he believed to be a black bear.
He deployed bear spray against the animal. Park officials suspect the bear was a grizzly, based on its size and behavior, and the location of the incident within the Pelican Valley Bear Management Area.
They hope to confirm the species through DNA analysis.
Following the attack, National Park Service medics escorted the hiker to the Lake Medical Clinic. He was then flown to a nearby hospital for treatment of his significant, but non-life-threatening injuries.
The Turbid Lake Trail is currently closed while the incident remains under investigation. Park officials stated that because the bear was acting defensively in a surprise encounter, no management action will be taken against the animal.
This marks Yellowstone’s first bear-related human injury of 2025, and the first since a grizzly injured a hiker near Mammoth Hot Springs in May 2021.
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- 29-year-old man attacked by bear in Yellowstone National Park (abcnews.go.com)