Bear Injures Hiker at Yellowstone National Park in Surprise Encounter

[Coventina]

A bear injured a 29-year-old man who was hiking alone at Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday afternoon, the first such episode there in more than four years.

In what park officials called a “surprise encounter,” the hiker was on Turbid Lake Trail near Yellowstone Lake when the bear appeared, according to a statement from Yellowstone National Park. He used bear spray on the animal when it made contact with him, but it injured his chest and left arm.

National Park Service medics responded and the man was flown to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, the park said. It added that the trail would be closed indefinitely and that the park’s bear management staff would sweep the area to make sure no other hikers were on the trail.

***snip***

“Because this incident was a defensive reaction by the bear during a surprise encounter, the park will not be taking any management action against the bear,” the park said in the statement.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/us/bear-yellowstone-park-injures-hiker.html?

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Glad to hear the bear will not be euthanized.

[flvegan]

1. A bear in the woods is a "surprise encounter" now?

Seems like if the hiker had bear spray on him, he shouldn't have been very surprised by the encounter.

[rateyes]

2. It surprised the bear.

[rollin74]

3. I'm pretty sure you're supposed to use bear spray

before the bear makes contact with you not “when it makes contact”

there’s a reason those canisters shoot the spray out 40+ feet

could just be inaccurate wording in the article though

[2naSalit]

4. They can be on you before you can...

Get the safety off. Sounds like he was able to activate the spray while under attack... I'd say well done.

Except, the protocol for hiking in bear territory is to make noise so the bear can hear you coming, most of them will get away from you... hard to surprise them that way. And avoid hiking solo.

Also, it's hyperphagia time, bears are very aggressive right now as they prep for hibernation.

[hardluck]

5. Surprise encounter? So this wasn't a planned date? No flowers?

[Strelnikov_]

6. Signs all over GYE not to hike alone.

Also, probably was not using a bear bell.

The fact that there are so few attacks indicates to me things are working.

[ITAL]

7. My wife and I were just there a year ago

She always wanted to be quiet so we could see nature. On the other hand, I was concerned about bears and about once every couple of minutes would yell out something like "HELLO BEARS," just so they knew we were around.