Yellowstone National Park officials on Thursday identified the victim of a grizzly bear attack as a 57-year-old Torrence, California, man, and adjusted some of the details of the attack.
Brian Matayoshi was killed in Wednesday morning's attack, while his wife, Marylyn, was briefly picked up by the bear but did not require medical attention, park officials said. The attack occurred about 11 a.m. as the couple was hiking along the Wapiti Lake Trail, which is located off the South Rim Drive south of Canyon Village and east of the park’s Grand Loop Road.
The couple was returning to the trailhead toward their vehicle when, about a mile-and-a-half from the trailhead, came out of the lodgepole pine forest and into a meadow, a park briefing of the incident said.
"It appears that the couple spotted a bear approximately 100 yards away and then began walking away from the bear. When they turned around to look, they reportedly saw the female grizzly running down the trail at them," the release said. "The couple began running, but the bear caught up with them, attacking Mr. Matayoshi. The bear then went over to Mrs. Matayoshi, who had fallen to the ground nearby. The bear bit her daypack, lifting her from the ground and then dropping her. She remained still and the bear left the area.
"Mrs. Matayoshi then walked back toward the meadow and attempted, without success, to call 911 on her cell phone. She began to shout for help and was heard by a distant group of hikers who were able to contact 911 by cell phone. Two rangers already in the area on backcountry patrol were contacted by the park Communications Center by radio and responded to the scene of the incident."
Mr. Matayoshi had died from "multiple bite and clawing injuries" by the time rangers arrived at the scene at approximately 11:30 a.m., the park statement said. The couple was not carrying any pepper spray, according to park officials.
Rangers immediately closed hiking trails in the area, and a helicopter patrol was used to determine whether there were any other hikers already in the backcountry in that area. None were spotted, and park officials closed the area for the coming days.
"The initial investigation suggests the sow grizzly acted in a purely defensive nature to protect her cubs," the statement said. "This female bear is not tagged or collared, and does not apparently have a history of aggression or human interaction. Typically, the National Park Service does not trap, relocate, or kill a bear under those circumstances. A Board of Review, which will include interagency experts, will be convened to review the incident."
The last fatal bear attack in Yellowstone occurred in October 1986 when a 38-year-old photographer, William Tesinsky, was attacked while "stalking" a grizzly in the Otter Creek area of the Hayden Valley, according to park officials who investigated the incident. The Montana man got too close to his subject, former Yellowstone Chief Ranger Dan Sholly wrote in his memoirs from the park, recounting that "before he could even press the shutter release" to snap a shot the bear charged him, mauled him, and partially consumed him.
Previous to that incident, a Swedish woman, Brigitta Fredenhagen, was killed in July 1984 by a grizzly that pulled her out of her tent at a backcountry campsite in the middle of the night. Rangers had warned her about hiking alone in the backcountry, according to Mr. Sholly's account in Guardians of Yellowstone, An Intimate Look at the Challenges of Protecting America's Foremost Wilderness Park.
Despite the large number of visitors who travel to Yellowstone each year, and the hundreds of bears in the region, there are relatively few bear-human incidents, said Mr. Nash. During the past 30 years there has been less than one injury per 1 million visitors to Yellowstone, while back in the 1930s there were roughly 175 injuries per 1 million visitors, he said.
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Comments
It would be absurd to kill this bear, period. We're not talking about a bear that has been desensitized to humans by raiding trash dusmpsters and camp sites and acting aggressively against humans. This is nature at its most basic, a sow Grizzly feeling the need to protect her cubs.
Life is full of risks. Every time you get in your vehicle you run the risk of being in an accident that could injure you or even worse, take your life. It doesn't even have to be your fault, either way, same outcome. Where is the outcry and outrage over the thousands of people that lose their lives on our highways? One bear fatality in 25 years, over 3 million visitors to Yellowstone last year alone and there are people who think this bear sould be put down. No perspective...
Well said, Connie.
Connie that is quite true. We are at risk every day. I almost stepped on a rattlesnake when hiking in Joshua Tree National Park when my son was 6 months old (also on the hike). Being 2 hours away from the car in 95F heat the experience really gave me a perspective on life and the national park experience. Every hike is a risk.
That being said I truly feel for the family of the man who was killed and it angers me that several people are commenting (in various articles I have read) in ways that exonerate the bear and almost place blame on the hikers for being in the "bear's backyard". All in all it is tradegy and I personally feel that the life of the hiker is a greater lost than life of a bear.
We should not kill the Grizzly, she was only doing what any mother, human or animal would do, protect their young. Moms, will do anything not let harm come to their young. Also remember that we are only visitors in the land that they live in. We have to abide by the rules that are inhert to the wildnerness. We have to get over the fact that we as humans can not control everything as much as we like.
Grizzlies should be hunted. period. Some of them have zero fear of humans. Although they demand respect (as does every other living creature), they are not the apex predator. And they can be taught that. I see comments here and elsewhere like "just a bear being a bear", oh really. If that was your husband or son or daughter that got shredded for a bear just being a bear you would probably feel differently. If they were hunted I truly believe that their behavior would be modified. I'm sure not 100%, but it would be an improvement.
dave,
They were hunted to near extinction in the lower 48. Are you suggesting gizzlies need a refresher course?
I read in another article that the wife stated they had seen the bear once before with her cubs but decided to keep walking anyway. Then when they stepped out of the trees, they were too close and the bear attacked to protect her cubs. I do not know how accurate that newspaper is (they reported the grizzlies are wandering into NM cities to escape the fires) but if they actually kept walking in the direction of the sow and cubs, then the attack was provoked. Please don't read this as, "they were asking for it" because that is not what I'm implying.
It's wrong to consider killing a bear that was defending her cubs. To consider otherwise is to not understand Yellowstone and it's real values. We are visitors, bears are residents. No one is blaming the hikers for being "in the bear's back yard" but they must take responsibility for their decisions and actions. While tragic, these folks saw the bears early in their hike and continued. They also ran when charged, a definite mistake with bears, resulting in these terrible consequences. And note, the woman played dead (as is advised in these circumstances) and got away with no injuries. So, this could possibly have been prevented. I too feel for this family. I have two daughters and we live and hike in Yellowstone. Even if I lost a daughter under these circumstances, I would not wish for the bear, which was acting naturally, to be destroyed. I would however, feel deep sorrow, yet take personal responsibility for my loss, and for not having taken better precautions and made better decisions when enjoying the backcountry.