A woman has died in a national park in the US state of Montana after reportedly encountering a grizzly bear.
The unnamed walker was found in Yellowstone national park on Saturday and from analysis of tracks in the woods the state’s environmental department said her death was likely to have occurred “following an apparent bear encounter”.
The cause of death has not yet been confirmed however, and an investigation is continuing.
Walkers have been encouraged to carry a spray to deter bears as this latest incident comes on the back of several apparent bear sightings in the hiking hotspot.
Montana’s grizzly bear population is believed to have risen in the past few years, although fatal bear attacks are still exceptionally rare.
Bears are more common “particularly in areas between the Northern Continental Divide and the Great Yellowstone ecosystems”, Montana’s fish, wildlife and parks department said.
A statement on July 11 read: “Anyone recreating in the Pryor Mountains should follow these bear safety protocols: Carry bear spray and know how to use it; stay alert and look for bear sign, especially where visibility is limited; look out for common bear signs, avoid travelling at dawn, dusk, or night when bears are typically most active; make human-associated noises, such as shouting and talking, to alert bears of your presence; travel in groups and keep members together; Never store food or other scented items in tents while camping; and avoid animal carcass sites.”
Grizzlies are most commonly found in the western and north-western US and Canadian states, and often in Montana. Around 1,000 live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in the tri-state area of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, and a further 1,000 grizzly bears are thought to live in different parts of Montana.
They can eat both plants and animals as well as fish but can face competition from wolves in hunting for prey. Grizzly bears often hibernate for seven months of the year.
