Hiker Killed By Grizzly Bear at Denali National Park, After Taking Photos Of The Animal For 8 Minutes

Denali National Park hiker was killed by a grizzly bear after taking photos of the wild animal for approximately eight minutes. The hiker’s death was the first known fatal grizzly bear mauling at Alaska’s Denali National Park. Richard White, 49, of San Diego, was found by a group of other hikers after the grizzly bear mauling on Friday, the Daily Mail reports.

Alaskan investigators recovered the hiker’s camera after the fatal bear attack. According to the number of grizzly bear photos on the bear mauling victim’s camera, the Denali National Park grizzly bear was not behaving in an aggressive manner towards the hiker, the Washington Post notes.

Alaska State Troopers tracked and then killed the bear on Saturday. An examination of the Denali National Park grizzly bear’s stomach contents revealed troopers had indeed found the animal which killed the lone hiker. Before the fatal bear attack the hiker was reportedly backpacking near the Toklat River. Denali National Park rules require hikers to remain at least a quarter-mile away from wild animals. Grizzly bear mauling investigators have determined Richard White was within approximately 50 yards from the Alaskan bear.

Denali National Park rangers planned on recovering the hikers remains late Saturday after the fatal bear attack scene was deemed safe, several other bears were spotted near the scene. Rangers noticed the animals hovering near the scene of the grizzly bear attack when they first arrived by helicopter to secure the lone hiker’s remains. One large male grizzly bear was reportedly sitting on the hiker’s remains in the underbrush approximately 150 yards from the primary attack site.