Autopsy Confirms Bear Killed 63-year-old Yellowstone Hiker

“n”>A mother grizzly bear, linked by DNA testing to the fatal mauling of a hiker whose body was found partially eaten in Yellowstone National Park, was euthanized on Thursday, park officials said. Bartlett says DNA test results are expected Wednesday or Thursday to determine whether the adult bear was the attacker.

‘It’s not a risk we’re willing to take’

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Such behavior is abnormal in typical defensive attacks by female bears defending their cubs, park officials said.

“If a bear consumes an individual, it’s not allowed to remain in the population”, Bartlett told the AP. Had they not been accepted by any zoo, they would have met the same fate. He was an experienced hiker and visited the park often.

His body was found by park rangers Friday about a half-mile from the nearest trail. Wounds found on Crosby’s forearms likely came from the attack, though the circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation.

Normal defensive attacks by female bears don’t involve eating the victim.

DNA analysis of bear fur samples collected next to Crosby’s body confirmed the adult female grizzly bear that was captured at the scene on the night the body was discovered was the bear involved in the fatal attack.

Arrangements have been made to transfer the bear’s two cubs to a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

When visiting the park, hikers are encouraged to be alert, to travel in groups of three or more, and carry bear spray. She also said that there was not a clear indication if the bear attacked Crosby in a predatory move or if she was defending the two cubs. Fearing further such attacks from the bear, officials decided it was best that the animal be euthanized.

“The decision to euthanize a bear is one that we do not take lightly”.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s office has received several phone calls and emails in the last week asking that the governor intervene euthanizing the bear, spokesman for the governor said. “Given little or no conclusive scientific or statistical data to guide their decision-making leaves the National Park Service with little choice”.

Several commenters suggested that the hiker had been at fault for exploring off-trail, and Yellowstone National Park responded directly in a comment: “This is a really important falsehood that we’ve been trying to correct”, it said.

Recently grizzly bears have been in the news quite a bit. There are an estimated 750 bears in the park and nearby areas of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.