Photo: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty
A bear charged at a family of four on Thursday, chasing a 10-year-old boy and mauling the child before the family fought the animal off using bear spray,National Park Serviceofficials said.
It is unclear what caused the bear to attack, but staff told theJackson Hole News&Guidethat the bear was with at least one cub and was likely foraging near the trail at the time of the incident.
The family’s identity has not been made public.
The boy’s parents used bear spray on the animal and the “bear shook its head and left the area,” according to the statement. The child was taken to Big Sky Medical Center in Montana with an injured wrist, puncture wounds to his back and wounds around his buttocks. His condition is unclear.
“This incident could have been more serious. We applaud the family for traveling in a group, carrying bear spray, and knowing how to effectively use it during their emergency,” Pat Kenney, the park’s deputy superintendent, told the publication. “We wish their son a full recovery from his injuries.”
Both bear management staff and law enforcement officials responded to the scene and are investigating the incident, park officials continued in the statement. They were looking to identify the bear’s species, as both grizzlies and black bears call the park home.
On average, bear attacks occur at the park about once a year, according to the statement. But there has not been a reported bear attack in Yellowstone National Park since 2015.
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In July, Apryl Rogers, 71, suffered a neck fracture, injuries to her face and scalp and even lost her left eye whena black bear attacked her in herGroton, New Hampshire, home.
“I’m not gonna let anything get me down. It’s not worth it,” Rogerstold WMUR, earlier this month of the incident. “I’d rather laugh than cry, and I do.”
source: people.com
