“The man had a bear spray with him, but it is unclear if he was able to use it during the attack,” according to a statement from the department. He was transported to Idaho Falls for the treatment of serious injuries.
According to the Facebook page of Charles Mock’s employer, Backcountry Adventures, Mock had two surgeries before suffering a stroke and eventually sustained injuries on Saturday, according to Charles Mock’s Facebook page, Backcountry Adventures.
A group of seven investigators, including forest service personnel and bear specialists, returned to the attack site on Friday to investigate and conduct an ongoing public safety briefing. Before a bear, described as an “older male grizzly”, the place where the deception was reached, begins to charge the group.
Investigators later found a moose carcass within 50 meters of the site of Mock’s attack. The statement said the grizzly was likely to defend a food source.
The National Park Service says Yellowstone has hosted more than 118 million visits since 1979. During this time, 44 people in the park were injured by grizzly bears.
For all visitors to the park combined, the chance of being injured by a gray bear is about 1 in 2.7 million visits. The risk is significantly lower for people who do not leave developed areas or roads, and higher for everyone who walks in the countryside.
Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as endangered under the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department under the Endangered Species Act.