A 72-year-old man successfully fought off and killed a grizzly bear that attacked him while he was picking huckleberries in Montana. The incident occurred on Thursday, July 18, in the Flathead National Forest, approximately 2 miles north of Columbia Falls.
The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was alone on national forest land when an adult female grizzly bear charged at him. The attack left him with serious injuries, according to officials from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
During the struggle, the man managed to use a handgun to kill the bear before being transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks spokesperson Dillon Tabish indicated that the bear was likely a mother defending her cubs. Wildlife workers have since begun searching the area for any potential cubs.
“Depending on their age, we might leave the cubs in the wild if they have a better chance of survival, rather than euthanize them,” Tabish explained.
On the same day as the attack, authorities also dealt with another grizzly bear issue. An adult female bear, which had been breaking into homes and stealing food in the town of Gardner, north of Yellowstone National Park, was shot. This bear was found and killed in the Yellowstone River, about 300 miles south of the Columbia Falls area. Fortunately, no people were harmed in that incident.
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