Bear Attack Updates

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By Kyle Midura
By Katie Ussin

Story Published: Jul 30, 2010 at 1:30 PM MST

Story Updated: Jul 30, 2010 at 1:30 PM MST

BILLINGS - Wildlife officials have captured an adult, female grizzly bear and two cubs they believe are responsible for the unusual and fatal attack at a campground near Yellowstone National Park Wednesday that left one dead and two injured.

They are also trying to capture a third cub. If DNA matches, officials with Fish, Wildlife and Parks said it is likely all four bears may be euthanized.

"If DNA samples don't supply us with a solid match then we'll move to dental, of the bear," said Andrea Jones, Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson. They are using the mother grizzly and the two cubs to attempt to lure in the third. "We don't know if they had any participation in any of the attacks, but what they're doing at that age is all a learning process and now these cubs have witnessed and learned that this is acceptable behavior and it is not," said Jones about the cubs. "They were involved in a human fatality and two other attacks and that's not acceptable."

Even after the third cub is captured it may take a while to re-open the Soda Butte campground. Officials said they believe that the campers followed safety guidelines; food was properly stored and investigators doubt campers antagonized the bear. "People who are willing to come to this remote location are usually pretty savvy when it comes to camping," said Jones. "This just could not have been predicted. It is bear country though, you can't take that away from this area, it's prime habitat for bear. This was probably her home range and this was just one option for her, unfortunately."

Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said bear hair, saliva and tissue samples collected on-site have been sent to a DNA identification lab in Laramie, Wyoming and they hope to have the results Friday.

Investigators also found a fragment of a bear tooth in a tent at the campsite. Investigators said the captured adult grizzly has a chipped tooth that appears to be a match. Tent or sleeping bag fibers have also been found in the captured bears' scat. They will confirm DNA and complete the investigation before a final decision on the fate of the bears is made.

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Hate poachers said on Tuesday, Jul 12 at 6:42 AM

The amount of bears killed every year by poachers and then photographed as a trophy kill but one perosn gets killed in bear country and god dam they are going to kill her and her mother??? sounds fair

alan said on Tuesday, Sep 14 at 7:26 PM

Bears don't kill people, sharp claws and sharp teeth do! Firearms rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Steve Jackson said on Sunday, Aug 1 at 11:48 AM

Aber & Mother bear man- If you get a deadly parasite or die by a snake or spider bite it serves you right! Think about that! You morons probably have no problem with rats and mice mice being killed. OH and Gus - yes people do run the planet. Lets stop all development, tear down our houses and give the land back to the animals.

Steve Jackson said on Sunday, Aug 1 at 11:38 AM

Piper & Deb and similar idiots- You should shut up when you don't know what your talking about! I hope you are both vegetarians or otherwise you are ignorant hypocrits hypocrits! hypocritts!

Timothy said on Sunday, Aug 1 at 4:46 AM

This is a very sad and tradgic event. There's a human element involved in this that has yet to be determined and may never be discovered. I hold these animals very near and dear to my heart. Until all the detail of this event surface, we need to withhold judgement for this grizzly bear family. Something was done wrong either by the campers who occupied this site that night or previous campers in that site. Any careless behavior with food in grizzly bear country can cause disaster. Something lured that mother grizzly to that site...a human error in grizzly country. Enforced hard sided camping in these areas is essential. Public campgrounds in and around grizzly country is dangerous. People can easily make mistakes with food. Reports say food was properly stored, however, has the site been thoroughly examined for improperly discarded food.It is very clear a human element played a vital role in this sad event.Losing a sow grizzly w/cubs,is devastating. Human error caused this event.Period

Laura Friedman said on Saturday, Jul 31 at 11:49 AM

You couldn't pay me to sleep out in the open in Grizzly Territory. If a bear had killed a camper in that same campground as previously reported than I would say that the Park is at fault for allowing people to camp in an area that is known to be highly trafficked by the bears! It doesn't matter if the bear came into camp at four a.m. or four p.m. Timothy Treadwell was killed at 1:30p.m. as well as his girlfriend. If you putt yourself in a sleeping bag in the middle of a freeway you are going to get hit by a semi.

Amazing said on Saturday, Jul 31 at 10:43 AM

The female bear wasn't protecting or defending anything. She was viciously hunting human beings. This isn't typical bear behavior. There was something clearly wrong with this bear and she had to be put down. To those who have said it serves the campers right -- shame on you! These people deserved to be hurt or killed? Are you kidding me? These people were respectfully enjoying nature and did nothing to hurt, taunt or endanger this bear or any other animal. Shame on you.

Deb said on Saturday, Jul 31 at 7:45 AM

I was stationed in Alaska and we were briefed on precautions to take with bears and moose. We went camping in a campground. Bears tend to stay away from people. They are naturally afraid of people. I've seen bears and have smelled them. They are smelly. So when you smell the terrible odor you know to get out of there.I agree the bears shouldn't pay a price b/c they were in their area. Killing the bears isn't going to bring the dead person back. Nor is it a justification to kill them; because why, a person was killed.

kat marq said on Saturday, Jul 31 at 5:25 AM

hi, the bears wernt protecting her cubs, and far as people go we are all experments, if any body has ever been sick you know this. but as far as euthising people i am all for it, i am sure we all know someone, with a grizzly, history

Anonymous said on Saturday, Jul 31 at 1:45 AM

Behavior is spelled like this.

Kay Carbajal said on Saturday, Jul 31 at 1:26 AM

Should we train the grizzly bears to be good to humans? This is not acceptable Behaviore...I agree...but I think we need to agree they are in the wild...and we go camping only a few months during the time its warm... Its their territory. We are visitors....

Hatedumbpeople said on Friday, Jul 30 at 9:51 PM

Ok so testing stuff on animals is the same thing as killing one that killed a human? Wait I fish so I am cruel because I kill fish and eat them. Damn all those chicken killers. Humans made up food chain? Your an idiot we might have put a name to it but animals been eating the mess out of other animals before man was ever around. Oh and so we are clear if a man killed another man in his sleep for no reason, he should be killed to. It's not like I am a bear hater.

Deb said on Friday, Jul 30 at 9:07 PM

You're in bear country. What do you expect? And who says people are better than animals. There's nothing about people that make us better or superior. Lets euthanize you, experiment on you etc, etc. Use your skin as a lamp shade. There's no such thing as a food chain. Some people made that up. cchain.

Indian lore said on Friday, Jul 30 at 8:26 PM

A bear is just a man that became a bear by eating the bear diet and sleeping through winter like the bear and living the bear life.

Hatedumbpeople said on Friday, Jul 30 at 7:50 PM

1. Kill the bears and make a rug. All of you crying about it probably have no problem killing spiders, snakes, and bugs even when they did not kill anyone. What's the difference?

alan said on Friday, Jul 30 at 7:28 PM

No one was armed in the entire camp site? What is wrong with people? 10mm Glock. Period

Christen said on Friday, Jul 30 at 6:57 PM

last year I camped in the Soda Butte Campgrounds - it's not backcountry camping, but a well established campground, near a town that is NOT encroaching on bears. Maybe you should check out an arear before you assume humans deserve to die.

JH said on Friday, Jul 30 at 6:40 PM

If you understand bear behavior, you will know that this was a predatory attack and the only way to deal with it is to kill the sow and her cubs. Yes, it's tragic, but necessary. The cubs have already learned this predatory behavior. If you camp in bear country and use a tent, then you should surround it with hotwire, or camp in a hard sided camper. The sow was not protecting her cubs as some have suggested. No human was threatening the cubs while the humans slept in their tents. This notion is absurd. Research backs this up.

Backwoods Girl said on Friday, Jul 30 at 6:30 PM

Whatever bear attacked the people in the Soda Butte Campground came in the dead of night while the people were sleeping, and attacked the people unprovoked. The bear was not defending anything. Yes, I carry a gun, and sleep with it too, when I'm camping in bear country, but it was not the peoples' fault. The bear has learned it's OK to attack people , and passed this knowledge on to her cubs. I say we can make Grizzly Bears a safer species to be around by practicing a little selection, and killing this family of people killing bears.

gus said on Friday, Jul 30 at 6:26 PM

humans do not, contrary to popular belief, own this planet!

Holgaman said on Friday, Jul 30 at 6:20 PM

To all those who claim the bear was Defending her young - a bear will attack to defend when someone comes between her and the cubs. This happened at two in the morning, people were asleep in their tents. Grizzlies are known to be unpredictable, but this type of behavior is extremely rare. I hate to see the animal destroyed, but it most likely would happen again even if the bear were relocated. I agree that the bears were there first and it is their habitat, but it's not realistic to expect that an established, well-used campground be abandoned over one rare incident.

Ursus said on Friday, Jul 30 at 6:07 PM

I can't believe all of the people here who say the bear was protecting her cubs/territory. A few facts: a bear's territory can range for over 100 miles. Fact: The bears were not surprised by the campers they entered the campground in the middle of the night while the campers were asleep (a non threatening behavior indeed) and made a deliberate attack on human beings. This means that the mother has imprinted that behavior on her cubs. Do you all realize how that adult female was caught in the trap? It wasn't random luck by the biologists. Fact: They used the man's tent and sleeping bag which contained his scent knowing that a bear would return to an area where it received a positive food reward- A HUMAN BEING in this case. This isn't the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet this is reality. Use a few of those brain cells that you granolas have left and try to form a rational unemotional argument. BTW, yes I have spent quite a bit of time in bear country myself!

c said on Friday, Jul 30 at 5:04 PM

The bears are not at fault here. The mother bear was just protecting her cubs and THEIR territory. PLEASE, save the bears!

LB said on Friday, Jul 30 at 4:50 PM

I am an animal lover. However, I always find it sad when people put animals ahead of people. Seems to me like if people worried more about people and less about the welfare of animals...we'd be better off.

Anonymous said on Friday, Jul 30 at 4:38 PM

shoot that bear dead we are at the top of the food chain

aber is so smart girl said on Friday, Jul 30 at 4:31 PM

aber is so smart the depth of knowledge in the post is so enlightening.That person should run for president

grizzlyman said on Friday, Jul 30 at 4:22 PM

I say put aber,motherbearman,nat in the campground with the bear.and anonymous too

Tom Fleming said on Friday, Jul 30 at 4:17 PM

Hmmm.... Some of you are people-haters. No one "deserved" to be killed for simply camping. I am not an expert on bear behavior and have no opinion about killing the bears to prevent future attacks.

marg said on Friday, Jul 30 at 3:59 PM

Leave the mother bear and her cubs alone! She's just protecting her cubs! People camp in the bears backyard and now the risk! STAY OUT! BEARS WERE THERE FIRST! I don't see people killing each other for cutting across their property etc.

Brandon said on Friday, Jul 30 at 3:25 PM

I love bears and very much hate seeing them lose habitat or be destroyed, but I think the people arguing against having these particular animals being put down, just don't have a good enough understanding of animal behavioral sciences to make an informed decision. If these particular bears aren't dealt with in this unfortunate way, the likelihood of other overt attacks on humans are almost certain. Campgrounds, homes and trails for at least 500 miles would essentially need to be closed to prevent another attack, and this problem would only increase as the her cubs spread out to find their own territory and continue their mothers behaviors. Something is unusual in this case, as a grizzly with cubs isn't going to go out of its way to find and attack humans sleeping in tents at 4:00am. Most situations a bear like that comes through your camp, and all you experience is some sniffing noises and find footprints in the morning. This isn't normal grizzly territorial behavior.

Wild Woman said on Friday, Jul 30 at 3:19 PM

I think people should stay out of bear country. It isn't the bear's fault for being in her own territory.

Wild Cat said on Friday, Jul 30 at 3:17 PM

Sorry for the campers. HOWEVER, if the soda butte campground is in bear territory it sounds to me that the bears were there first. So move the camp out of bear zone!!!!! how hard is that...DON'T KILL THE BEAR AND HER CUBS.. She is doing what she knows from nature.

avid camper said on Friday, Jul 30 at 3:08 PM

What everyone is missings is this was a well populated campground, not a national forest with random campers. I'd agree with everyone about saving the bears if the campers had been in the woods, but it was a campsite that's been active for a long period of time. I'm an animal lover and I always respect their space when in the wild, but I guess I'm false in believing I'm safe in a campsite.

Piper said on Friday, Jul 30 at 3:04 PM

The Fish,Wildlife and Parks officials should know that it is natural for mother grizzly bears defend their cubs to the death against threats.Where do these get these "qualified " employees? Maybe people should stay out of remote campgrounds.In my opinion the people got what they deserved.

Lloyd Christmas said on Friday, Jul 30 at 3:03 PM

The campers should have had a 500 S&W with them, especially if you're going to sleep in a tent in Grizzly country. That was the stupid mistake. However that mother bear needs to be put down unless you can find a home in captivity for her. Tough luck for the person and the bear.

Anonymous said on Friday, Jul 30 at 2:55 PM

Leave the bears alone. It is not their fault that campers are in their space. My husband was 3 miles from the attack and he knows the danger.

Nat said on Friday, Jul 30 at 2:26 PM

This is completely absurd. When first hearing this story I was worried that they would "solve" this by killing the bear. This is the animal's home and since these campers are so aware of their surroundings, anyone camping in these grounds should understand that put against wildlife, anything can happen. If this is the solution to such an instance, I believe campers should not be allowed on these grounds. A bear and 3 cubs should not have to suffer this fate because of more accidents such as this.

Celtglen said on Friday, Jul 30 at 2:15 PM

I wonder why this happened? Are we too close to their personal space, as are some areas in CA to cougar territory. Or is there an outbreak of disease? There is an increase in animal attacks in the last 15 years, some "predatory" in nature, some not. Seems as if back country camping is a thing of the past, and territory encroachment problems will persist if developers insist on scaring up the landscape. I am rethinking my camping trip for labor day, maybe the future of enjoying nature will have to be left to IMAX.

Motherbearman said on Friday, Jul 30 at 1:56 PM

Agreed - If they put the mother to sleep it will be a travesty. What right do campers have to intrude on the animals and their offspring. Tough luck for the dead person.

aber said on Friday, Jul 30 at 1:54 PM

Serves the campers right. If I was a mother defending cubs Id kill you too

Wow... said on Friday, Jul 30 at 5:45 AM

"We don't know if they had any participation in any of the attacks, but what they're doing at that age is all a learning process and now these cubs have witnessed and learned that this is acceptable behavior and it is not," said Jones about the cubs. "They were involved in a human fatality and two other attacks and that's not acceptable." And I'm sure that bear was thinking "Humans are sleeping in my territory, and that's not acceptable." Guess that's what happens when you sleep in an area inhabited by bears. You can't blame the animal for protecting itself and it's cubs.

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