Montana man hospitalized after shooting, killing grizzly bear
July 20 (UPI) -- A female grizzly bear attacked a 72-year-old Montana man while he was picking huckleberries, which forced him to shoot and kill her with a handgun.
On Thursday, the unidentified Columbia Falls resident was in the Flathead National Forest near the North Fork Road in northwestern Montana when the grizzly charged and attacked him, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials announced Friday.
The man is hospitalized, but his condition was not reported.
Montana game wardens and local bear specialists are investigating the bear attack to learn if the man accidentally got between the female bear and any bear cubs.
The investigators confirmed the encounter was a surprise bear attack that ended when the man killed the bear with a handgun of an unidentified caliber.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff earlier Thursday shot and killed an adult female grizzly bear that had gotten used to getting food from people and breaking into homes in and near Gardiner, which has a population of about 800 and is located due north of Yellowstone National Park.
That incident occurred about 300 miles from the Columbia Falls area grizzly bear attack.
Garbage, barbecue grills and pet food commonly attract bears, which could turn into dangerous encounters.
Montana wildlife managers often catch and move grizzly bears that create problems but will shoot those that attack people or continue causing problems after being relocated.
The Endangered Species Act lists grizzlies as a threatened species, but many officials in Rocky Mountain states want the bears' protected status removed.
Removing the bears from the protected status would enable licensed grizzly bear hunts to better manage local populations.
