Just weeks after an alleged deadly grizzly attack, another grizzly bear has attacked a hiker. Both incidents happened at Glacier National Park in Montana.
The latest grizzly bear attack reportedly happened on Thursday. Park spokeswoman Autumn Sifuentes told Cowboy State Daily, a "surprise encounter involving a hiker and a bear occurred on the Grinnell Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park."
"National Park Service personnel and emergency services responded to the incident. The Grinnell Glacier Trail is temporarily closed and will reopen when deemed appropriate by park staff," she also added.
At this time, it's unknown what the extent of the injuries, if any, is for the hiker. However, hiker Devin Dufrene said the man involved in the grizzly attack was screaming about the bear. He said, "Knowing there was an attack up-trail and now a bear approaching from the opposite direction, we decided to ascend up the cliffside and wait for the bear to pass."
Grizzly Attacks Hiker
The news comes after a grizzly killed hiker Anthony Pollio in early May. Canadian human-bear conflict prevention expert Kim Titchener said the conditions at the park can make it difficult for bears to notice approaching humans.
"It's got lots of thick vegetation," said Titchener.
Meanwhile, Alyssa Olsen from New Zealand and her hiking partner, Mason Van Zeeland, had close calls with grizzlies at the park as well. They filmed the close encounter. At the time, Olsen say, "We're going to die. We're actually going to die. Holy heck!"
The grizzlies ran down their path. The two deployed bear spray to keep the animals away. Fortunately, they managed to escape with their lives. Not everyone is as lucky.
"We did some things right and some things wrong," he wrote. "We weren't perfect in the moment, and situations happen fast. Safety should always come first."
So if you're planning on hiking, then be prepared.
