A 10-year-old was bitten by bear in Yellowstone National Park on Thursday/NPS file
A 10-year-old boy was saved from more serious injury from a bear Thursday in Yellowstone National Park when his parents defended him with a dose of bear spray in the bruin's face from five feet away, park officials said.
The family of four, from Washington state, was hiking up the Divide Trail southeast of the Old Faithful complex about 10 a.m. when the bear charged out of vegetation towards the family, according to the park. The boy ran from the bear, and it chased after him and knocked him to the ground.
"The parents effectively deployed bear spray about five feet from the bear’s face. Thereafter, the bear shook its head and left the area," a park release said. "After the incident, the family walked back to the trailhead, drove to the Old Faithful Ranger Station, and were directed to the nearby clinic. The 10-year-old suffered an injured wrist, puncture wounds to the back, and wounds around the buttocks. He was transferred to the Big Sky Medical Center."
Law enforcement and bear management staff responded immediately to the area and were trying to determine whether a black or grizzly bear was involved in the incident. The Spring Creek and Divide trails were temporarily closed.
Park staff pointed out that all of Yellowstone is bear habitat: "from the deepest backcountry to the boardwalks around Old Faithful." Visitors should be prepared to encounter bears anywhere in the park, they added.
There has not been a reported bear attack in Yellowstone since 2015. On average, one bear attack per year occurs in the park, the staff noted.
Comments
yup certainly stand tall spread out and yell he might say nope don't want to fight that big boy today and retreat ..
No. There's a general prohibitions against weapons (including bear spray) in federal regulations that apply to NPS. Again, other than Alaskan parks, it requires a superintendent's order to allow it. The only places I know that have these orders are where there are grizzly/brown bears. I showed you the order from the Yellowstone Superintendent's Compendium. As far as I know the only other exceptions made are at Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier. There was also the firearm exception from the 2009 credit card protection bill.
In Alaska there's a specific allowance from 36 CFR 13.30.
For Grand Teton it's on page 15:
https://www.nps.gov/grte/learn/management/upload/2018-Compendium-FINAL-a...
For Glacier it's on page 33:
https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/management/loader.cfm?csModule=security/g...
Weapons (whose definition includes irritants such as pepper/bear spray) aren't allowed at all save specific allowances.
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2013-title36-vol1/pdf/CFR-2013-title36...
SS 2.4 Weapons, traps and nets.
(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and parts 7 (special regulations) and 13 (Alaska regulations), the following are prohibited:
(i) Possessing a weapon, trap or net
(ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net
(iii) Using a weapon, trap or net
[the definition of "weapon" from 36 CFR 1.4]
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title36-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title36...
Weapon means a firearm, compressed gas or spring-powered pistol or rifle, bow and arrow, crossbow, blowgun, speargun, hand-thrown spear, sling-shot, irritant gas device, explosive device, or any other implement designed to discharge missiles, and includes a weapon the possession of which is prohibited under the laws of the State in which the park area or portion thereof is located.
I'm not angry about anything said here, but I think what you gave was bad advice. I'd hate for someone to be visiting Mt Rainier NP who might carry some bear spray on your suggestion only to be cited for it.
I'll add that bear spray is also allowed at North Cascades National Park, which occasionally gets grizzly sightings. It's done (the same as Glacier, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone) under an allowance from 36 CFR 1.5 (a)(2).
https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/management/superintendent-compendium.htm
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title36-vol1/pdf/CFR-2012-title36...
SS 1.5 Closures and public use limits.
(a) Consistent with applicable legislation and Federal administrative policies, and based upon a determination that such action is necessary for the maintenance of public health and safety, protection of environmental or scenic values, protection of natural or cultural resources, aid to scientific research, implementation of management responsibilities, equitable allocation and use of facilities, or the avoidance of conflict among visitor use activities, the superintendent may:
(2) Designate areas for a specific use or activity, or impose conditions or restrictions on a use or activity.
Allowed at NOCA where the reintroduction of grizzlies it being planned. I don't believe there are any - or many - grizzlies in NOCA presently. "Black bears" actually come in an assortment of colors, but a brown haired black bear doesn't have the hump and other distinguishing characteristics of a grizzly.
I don't think any reintroduction has begun, and I've heard the local population is likely barely there. There are clearly grizzlies across the border in BC. I'm not even sure that they really need to allow people to carry bear spray, other than NPS allows it anywhere that grizzlies are claimed to be, and it tends to be a remote area with little infrastructure.
Dennis, Bear spray is prohibed in the back country of Yosemite. Makes no sense to me but it is fact.
Does the usual recommendation to stand still and make yourself look big apply to children? What about the second option that used to be suggested, to play dead? Somehow I doubt if either of these have any sort of test history or in-the-field track record when it comes to kids. Staying in a group with adults (with bear spray) seems to me to be much more sensible for kids in grizzly country. Isn't that what the Park Service recommends (requires?) for children in Yellowstone?
henrodon. My understanding is the decision to play dead or play big depends on the bear. Black bears are used to living in forest and can climb trees. They tend to be more timid and can be frieghtened by acting big and making loud noises. Their natural instinct is to escape. Grizzles on the otherhand more frequently live in open areas and aren't as adept at climbing trees. Their instinct is not to hide but to defend. Therefore a more passive approach may be more fruitful with them.