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BRIGHTON — A black bear was killed Wednesday night after biting a runner on a trail in Big Cottonwood Canyon earlier in the day, state wildlife officials said.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources responded to a report of a bear attack in the canyon shortly after 1:15 p.m. A man had been running along Mill D North Fork Trail when he said a bear approached him. He tried to back away and make himself look big to scare off the animal, but the bear bluff charged him twice and then bit him on his upper arm after he tripped over a log, according to division spokeswoman Faith Heaton Jolley.
"The man kicked at the bear and was able to escape," she said.
The hiker was able to get out of the canyon and drive himself to St. Marks Hospital in Millcreek, where he was treated for puncture wounds to his upper arm. Some people posted online that they saw the man bleeding as he ran back down.
Scott Root, a biologist for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said the division used hounds to try and track down the bear after the attack. It took several hours, but they were able to track down the bear shortly before 10 p.m.
The bear, an adult female, was euthanized after displaying "aggressive behavior" and injuring a person, which is standard Utah wildlife protocol.
"It's never a fun day to do that, but it's the right call," he said.
The incident took place after wildlife biologists said they were forced to kill another black bear for a completely different reason in American Fork Canyon on Saturday.
Biologists there euthanized a 5-year-old bear that had been spotted roaming around canyon campgrounds because it had "showed little to no fear of humans" and became "habituated to seeking food in campgrounds" from trash and food left out, causing a public safety threat.
The division has also helped the U.S. Forest Service try and track down a bear that was seen wandering around the Soapstone Campground near Kamas over the past week. Jolley said a bear was attracted to the site largely because of food being left out by campers.
The Forest Service closed the site as a precaution until the bear is caught.
The Division of Wildlife Resources said people should keep their campsites clean because food can draw bears. As for what happened Wednesday, the agency has a few tips for handling bear encounters:
- Stand your ground: Don't back up, lie down or play dead. Stay calm and give the bear a chance to leave. This is a good time to prepare to use bear spray or another deterrent.
- Don't run away or climb a tree: Black bears are excellent climbers and can outrun humans.
- Know bear behavior: A bear is not being aggressive if it stands up, grunts, moans or makes other sounds. This is how the animal investigates something it may be interested in.
- Always fight back if a bear attacks: People have successfully defended themselves with rocks, sticks, backpacks, water bottles and even their hands and feet.
Contributing: Shelby Lofton and Shara Park
