A woman is found dead after being attacked by a grizzly bear near Yellowstone

WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONT — Wildlife officials set up bear traps to catch bears on the third Monday night. grizzly bear killed A woman travels alone on a forest trail near Yellowstone National Park.

Amy Adamson, 48, of Derby, Kansas, died Saturday in an assault near the Montana-Idaho border, according to the Gallatin County Coroner’s Office. The victim, a marathon runner, was likely running or walking at the time of the attack, officials said.

the authorities ruled out a rare event predatory attackThis suggests that Adamson died after an accidental encounter with a bear while traveling alone in wooded areas where grizzly bears and black bears are common.

Morgan Jacobsen of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks said she was killed hundreds of yards (meters) from trailheads, private campgrounds and RV parks. The bear was traveling with one or more cubs, but showed no signs of trying to eat the victim.

Jacobsen said authorities have yet to decide whether adult bears, if captured, will be killed or moved.

A former English teacher, Adamson quit the classroom in 2015 to backpack most of the United States and later wrote a book about his career and experiences, Walking Out.

Wichita’s KWCH-TV reported that the victim’s mother described her as a hiker, marathon runner, and “just a beautiful free spirit.”

“She lived for the experience,” said Janet Adamson, adding that her daughter had no regard for material possessions and died “doing what she liked.”

Hikers found her body around 8 a.m. Saturday. The coroner’s office said her cause of death was excessive blood loss from a bear attack.

Jacobsen said Adamson was wearing running shoes and didn’t have bear spray. Bear spray is recommended by wildlife experts to carry in bear-infested areas.

Officials and locals said she worked nearby and would often run or walk the trail early in the morning.

“This person was probably out for a morning jog along the trail when this incident happened,” Jacobsen said.

Tracks of a grizzly bear and at least one baby were found at the site of the attack. The attack occurred near the Buttermilk Trailhead, eight miles (13 km) west of West Yellowstone, a summer tourist town and gateway to the national park.

This trail is used by hikers, equestrians and off-roaders.

The Rangers have issued an emergency closure for some areas of the Custer-Gallatin National Forest. Yellowstone National Park was not included.

Local resident Bill Youngworth said people in the area were aware of the attack and the forest closure, but didn’t panic over the attack because the bear may have surprised and attacked the victim defensively when they turned the corner.

The attack took place about a mile (1.6 km) from Youngworth’s rented villas adjacent to a forest.

“I tell everyone, ‘You better bring bear spray and know how to use it,’ and the main thing is not to go alone,” he said.

On Saturday night, trail cameras captured images of a grizzly bear with two cubs in the area. Jacobsen said there have been no sightings since. Traps set for the bears on Saturday and Sunday nights ended up empty, and attempts to locate the bears from aircraft failed.

He added that over time, traps become less effective as the likelihood of catching bears not involved in an attack increases.

Laura Skinner, co-owner of the West Yellowstone Rodeo and Creekside Trail Ride, said the attack did not disrupt riding on private property or the nighttime rodeo.

“We have bears all the time. The only precaution we take is checking the trails.

“I’m sure they’re doing whatever it takes to track them down and hunt them down, but they’re probably nowhere near here,” she added.

Grizzly bear populations in the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States have increased significantly in recent years, and in recent years grizzly bears have been appearing in places they haven’t seen in generations. Since 2010, grizzly bears have killed at least nine people in and around Yellowstone. Attacks remain relatively rare in the region, which receives millions of tourists each summer.

a A backcountry guide was murdered nearby When a large grizzly bear attacked West Yellowstone two years ago, wildlife officials said it was probably guarding a nearby elk carcass. and, hiker killed Last year, in a remote area of ​​the Absaroka Mountains south of Livingston, Montana, a suspected encounter with a grizzly bear occurred north of Yellowstone Park.

Human encounters can also be deadly for bears. Last week in Glacier National Park, a 5-year-old female grizzly bear was euthanized after authorities said it had become accustomed to eating campsite food and had become aggressive.

Outside of Alaska, grizzly bears are protected under federal law. Elected officials in the Yellowstone area are calling for the protection to be lifted to allow grizzly hunting.

State officials last week warned visitors and residents of grizzly bear sightings throughout the state, “particularly in the area between the Northern Continental Divide and the Yellowstone Regional Ecosystem.”

They asked visitors to camps and parks to carry bear spray, store food outdoors and manage trash.

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