MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS - A hiker was injured by a bear Friday morning in Yellowstone National Park.
A 39-year-old man was hiking alone on the Beaver Ponds Trail at Mammoth Hot Springs when the attack occurred, park officials said in a press release.
The attack happened about 1.5 miles from the trailhead that originates at Old Gardiner Road.
The man reported he encountered what he believed to be two grizzly bears. One bear made contact with the man and he suffered significant injuries to his lower extremities but was able to hike out on his own, the press release states.
The man was transported to Livingston Hospital by a park ambulance.
The Beaver Ponds Trail is closed until further notice. Bear management staff were sweeping the trail to ensure no other hikers are on the trail.
This is the first incident of a bear injuring a person in Yellowstone in 2021. The last incident was in June 2020 [nps.gov], when a grizzly bear knocked a woman to the ground and scratched her thigh.
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