Attacking grizzly in Grand Teton National Park scared away by self-inflicted use of pepper spray

(AP) — A grizzly that accidentally sprayed himself with a volley of pepper spray during an attack on a hiker in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming will not be captured or killed because he may have been trying to protect a cub, officials said Parks said in a statement.

After attacking a hiker on Signal Mountain, the grizzly bear bit into the man’s can of bear repellent and was hit by a volley of it, causing the animal to flee. The 35-year-old Massachusetts man, who played dead during the bite, was able to get to safety and spent Sunday night in the hospital.

There was no information on when Signal Mountain or a road and trail to its 7,700-foot summit would reopen after they were closed because of the attack. Such closures are typical after the few grizzly attacks on public lands in the Yellowstone region each year.

The decision not to pursue the bears, because officials noted they were behaving naturally after being surprised, was also consistent with attacks that did not involve raids on campsites, eating food left behind by people or similar behavior acted to make bears more dangerous.

Rangers track and study many of the approximately 1,000 bears in the Yellowstone region, but do not know the bears responsible for the attack Sunday afternoon, the statement said.

The attack occurred even though the victim was carrying bear repellent spray and making noise to warn the bears in the forest, the statement said.

During subsequent conversation with rangers, the man said he encountered a small bear that ran away from him. As he reached for his bear repellent, he saw, in the edge of his vision, a larger bear charging toward him.

He didn’t have time to use his bear spray before he fell to the ground with his fingers clasped behind his neck, one finger holding the spray can.

The bear bit him several times before biting into the pepper spray can, which burst and scared the bears away.

The man entered an area with cell service and called for help. A helicopter and then an ambulance took him to a nearby hospital.

Based on the man’s description, investigators believe the smaller bear he saw was an older cub that belonged to the attacking female grizzly. Mother bears aggressively defend their offspring and stay with them for two to three years after birth.

Park officials did not release the victim’s name. He was expected to make a full recovery.