A killer grizzly is roaming Yellowstone National Park’s back-country after mauling a hiker who apparently surprised the female bear and its cubs.

The gruesome attack, which was the park’s first fatality of its kind in 25 years, occurred about a mile and a half from the start of the Wapiti Lake trail, a popular back-country trail near that runs through the heart of the sprawling 2.2 million acre park.

A National Park Service statement said that the 57-year-old male victim – whose identity is behind withheld until his family is notified – and his wife had inadvertently surprised the mother grizzly and her cubs, and in “an attempt to defend a perceived threat to her cubs, the bear attacked and fatally wounded the man.”

The victim’s wife, who escaped with scrapes and bruises but didn’t require medical attention, told park officials she didn’t see the bear attack her husband.

When the grizzly went for her she quickly dropped to the ground. The bear then lifted her off the ground by the day pack she was wearing, only to drop her back down.

Due to the fact that the animal acted in “defense,” Park spokesman Al Nash said Yellowstone authorities would not attempt to capture or remove the killer grizzly.

Furthermore, while lamenting the death, officials said they didn’t want to overemphasize the danger to visitors.

“This is a wild and natural park,” said Diane Shober, director of the state Wyoming Travel and Tourism agency. “At the same time, the likelihood of this happening again is small.”

via MSNBC

Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Attack Leaves Hiker Dead is a post from: The Inquisitr

A circus manager has been killed at the paws of an ice-skating bear in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, the BBC is reporting.

25-year-old Dmitry Potapov was killed by the ice-skate wearing bear during a rehearsal, and another circus worker was mauled. The injured worker was trying to come to Popatov’s aid. It is not clear what caused the attack, in which Popatov was dragged across the ice by the attacking bear on skates. Circus workers managed to pull the two men away from the bear, and workers barricaded the bear inside the arena. Police later shot and killed the 5-year-old bear.

Kyrgyz doctor Gulnara Tashibekova says the 29-year-old animal handler who attempted to save Popatov and was severely injured in the attack is in critical condition, suffering “bruising to the brain and lacerations to his scalp.” Trained bears are common in Russian circuses, where they are commonly seen not only ice skating but playing hockey.

Ice skating bear kills circus manager is a post from: The Inquisitr

An elderly Canadian man has fended off an attacking bear by ramming a branch down its throat.

Father and son Tom and James Wanyandie were in the woods doing what ever Canadians do in the woods, when they accidentally stumbled across a bear cub. Before being able to raise a firearm (ostensibly to defend themselves), the mother bear attacked,

The bear went straight for James, but 77 year old Tom wasn’t prepared to sit back and allow this to happen. Tom charged toward the attacking bear, swearing at it in a local Indian language, before ramming a branch he’d been using as a walking stick down the animal’s throat.

According to local reports, it was enough to startle the bear and give the men a chance to get away. Despite a range of injuries, the pair made it back to their vehicle, where they later called from help.

Old man fends off bear by ramming a branch down its throat is a post from: The Inquisitr