BILLINGS, Mont. — A grizzly bear that mauled a 57-year-old hiker to death in Yellowstone National Park was defending its cubs and had not threatened humans before. So park officials on Thursday decided to leave it alone to wander the backcountry.
The mauling, the park’s first in 25 years, was “not predatory, and so we see no reason to take action against the bear,” said Kerry Gunther, bear-management biologist for Yellowstone.
Whenever there is a run-in or attack involving bears, park officials must decide whether the attack was defensive or an act of aggression. In Wednesday’s mauling, they based their conclusion on the account of the hiker’s wife, who survived, as well as their knowledge of bear behavior.
Brian and Marylyn Matayoshi, of Torrance, Calif., were hiking in a backcountry meadow along a trail a mile and a half from the trailhead when they spotted the bear foraging about 100 yards away. The couple turned and began walking away, officials said.
The grizzly charged and attacked Brian Matayoshi, then went for his wife, who ran for cover behind a tree. The grizzly lifted her off the ground by the day pack she was wearing and dropped her.
She tried to call 911 on her cellphone but couldn’t get a signal. Other hikers heard her cries for help and managed to get through to emergency officials.
Marylyn Matayoshi told rescuers that the couple surprised the sow, its cubs nearby — one of the most dangerous situations possible for humans encountering grizzlies. Park officials think the grizzly had two 6-month-old cubs, based on previous sightings in the area and cub tracks where the attack occurred.
The decision not to track and kill the bear isn’t unprecedented. In nearby Grand Teton National Park, officials decided not to intervene with a grizzly that wounded a man in 2007. Rangers determined that female also was defending its cubs and didn’t pose a general threat to humans.
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