A video taken on November 8 shows a runner’s terrifying encounter with a mother bear and her two cubs on a hiking trail in Sierra Madre, California. (Courtesy: @_lauragold via Storyful)
A three-year-old girl was hospitalized Sunday after being attacked by a black bear in southern Montana.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) officials said the incident occurred around 10 p.m. local time while the child was sleeping in a tent at a private campground near the town of Red Lodge.
According to local reports, the black bear attacked the three-year-old girl. The child was subsequently taken to a medical facility in Billings and treated for her injuries.
FILE: Black bear.
(Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks / FOX Weather)
That night, FWP staff worked with the campground owner to clear the area by the next morning. Staff also set a trap at the campground that night and continued to set additional traps and snares after the campground was cleared.
A bear was captured and euthanized later Monday afternoon. According to FWP, the bear killed is believed to be the bear involved in the attack because evidence from the scene matched the bear’s physical characteristics.
Black bear attacks man while trail running in Utah
They noted the bear had no history of conflict, but they believed it had become habituated to being near humans. FWP said the animal had become habituated to food after having access to unsecured food items and other nearby attractants.
Back at the children’s tent, the FWP found that they had found human food, garbage, a cooler and other unsecured bait.
FILE: Black bear.
(Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks / FOX Weather)
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The incident serves as a reminder that “Montana is bear country,” FWP said. Authorities are urging people to be prepared to encounter both black and grizzly bears in the state and to take the following precautions:
- Keep food or other odorous items away from the tents.
- Garbage should be placed in bear-proof trash cans or properly disposed of off-site.
- Garbage must not be buried or burned.
- Properly store unattended food and scented items in bear boxes, hard-sided vehicles, IGBC-certified (or Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee-certified) bear-resistant containers, or behind temporary electric fences.
Further information on food storage regulations can be found here.
