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Man, 72, kills grizzly bear in self-defence after being attacked in Montana
Officials determined his self-defence to be a “surprise defensive encounter”
A 72-year-old man from Montana shot and killed a grizzly bear in self-defence on Thursday. The adult bear charged at the man while he was out picking huckleberries alone on Flathead National Forest lands off the North Fork Road. Upon being attacked, the man shot and killed the bear with a handgun. The man has been hospitalised since.
Montana man, 72, kills grizzly bear in self-defence
The incident occurred on Thursday evening, approximately 2 miles north of Columbia Falls in Flathead County, according to a statement by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Montana officials, including bear specialists, confirmed that an adult female grizzly bear was shot dead.
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The statement added that officials are working to verify if there were any cubs present in the area. While the elderly man had to be hospitalised, the nature of his injuries hasn't been revealed yet. Officials determined his self-defence to be a “surprise defensive encounter,” the statement said.
Dillon Tabish, a spokesperson for the agency, explained that the bear was likely reacting defensively to protect her cubs, according to Associated Press. “Depending on the age, we might leave them in the wild because they have a better chance of survival, rather than have to euthanize them,” Tabish said of the bear cubs, who may or may not have been present at the scene.
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In another incident the same day, staffers for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks were forced to kill a separate grizzly bear after they were notified that the animal had broken into a home in Maiden Basin, according to a statement released by the agency earlier in the day.
The officials said of the bear that it had previously been involved in other recent incidents that included breaking into homes and stealing food. These incidents were reported to have occurred in the Gardiner area, which serves as one of the entrances to Yellowstone National Park.
