Thaindian News

July 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Three people were attacked at a campground which is located near Yellowstone National Park, early Wednesday morning just before dawn, leaving one person dead and two injured, according to wildlife officials in Montana.

An unidentified man died in the bear attack, which was believed to be from one bear. The incident took place at the Soda Butte campground just outside of Cooke City to the East. Ron Aasheim, a Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks spokesman said that the report came in at 4 am.

Aside from the death of the unknown man, a female obtained lacerations on her arms which were very severe from the bear bites, and another male was bitten on his leg. They were taken to the hospital in nearby Cody, Wyoming. The identities and ages of the victims were withheld by wildlife officials until a response team can investigate the occurrence.

“We don’t know if it was one bear, two bears, a black bear or grizzly bear,” Aasheim stated, “Obviously the bear’s gone now. Will it come back tonight? That’s the question.”

The campground was cleared out by authorities after the attack, and campers were told to go to their cars after tents in the area were smashed. The US Forest Service campground will be closed until the investigation is over.

Another attack, this one by a grizzly, occurred in 2008, when a man was bitten while he was sleeping in his tent at the same campground. The Soda Butte campground is located in the Gallatin National Forest which is near the northeastern entrance of well known Yellowstone National Park. That bear was captured and taken to a bear research center at Washington State University.