Aerial view of Turbid Lake. The bear attack occurred on the Turbid Lake trail.
A grizzly bear seen above Gardner River near the Boiling River parking area.
Generic image of a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park.

A 29-year-old male hiking solo in Yellowstone National Park required medical care after sustaining significant but non-life-threatening injuries in a surprise encounter with a bear believed to have probably been a grizzly.

The unidentified male was hiking on the Turbid Lake Trail northeast of Mary Bay in Yellowstone Lake on Tuesday afternoon when the incident occurred, the National Park Service reported. He was about 2½ miles from the Pelican Valley Trailhead in the Pelican Valley Bear Management Area.

The man suffered injuries to his chest and left arm.

It was the first time in four years that a person has been injured by a bear in Yellowstone National Park. The last incident came in May 2021 when a grizzly injured a 39-year-old solo male hiker on the Beaver Ponds Trail in Mammoth Hot Springs.

“The hiker began to deploy bear spray when the bear made contact,” the NPS stated about Tuesday's attack. “National Park Service medics responded to the incident and walked out with the hiker. Once arriving to the trailhead, NPS transported the hiker in a park ambulance to the Lake Medical Clinic. He was then flown to a nearby hospital for treatment.”

The NPS reported that the hiker thought the bear was a black bear, but the location of the attack along with the size and behavior of the described bear suggests it might have been a grizzly bear.

Bear management staff is attempting to confirm the species through DNA analysis.

Since it was a defensive reaction by the bear during a surprise encounter, park officials will not be taking action against the bear.

The NPS used the incident to remind park visitors to be bear aware, offering these tips to help avoid surprise bear encounters, and what to do and what not to do:

  • Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
  • Be alert. See the bear before you surprise it. Watch for fresh tracks, scat, and feeding sites (signs of digging, rolled rocks, torn up logs, ripped open ant hills).
  • Make noise.
  • Hike in groups of three or more people.
  • Stay 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears at all times.
  • Stay on trail and don't hike at dawn, dusk, or at night, when grizzlies are most active.
  • Don’t run from a bear.

The incident remains under investigation, and the Turbid Lake Trail was closed until further notice.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Solo hiker deploys bear spray too late to prevent attack

Reporting by David Strege, For The Win / For The Win

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect