Why Grand Teton Park officials won’t kill the bear that attacked a hiker

The grizzly bear that injured a hiker during an encounter in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park last week will reportedly not be killed.

Park officials believe the bear may have been trying to protect its offspring at the time, the Associated Press reported. Mother bears are extremely aggressive toward their cubs.

The Signal Mountain Summit Road and Signal Mountain Trail in the national park were closed to the public after a “35-year-old male visitor from Massachusetts” was “seriously injured by a bear in the area of Signal Mountain Summit Road” on Sunday afternoon, the National Park Service said in a news release on Monday.

Teton Emergency Medical Services responded to the incident and provided emergency medical care to the victim before he was flown by helicopter to a local hospital.

The victim’s condition is “stable and he is expected to make a full recovery,” the park administration said in a statement.

USA TODAY has contacted Grand Teton National Park for comment.

More:Man seriously injured in grizzly bear attack in closed area of Grand Teton National Park

Park officials closed the path after the attack

Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident was a “surprise encounter with two grizzly bears, with one of the bears touching and injuring the visitor.”

Grand Teton National Park is home to both black bears and grizzly bears. Grizzly bears are protected under both state and federal law.

Victim says he tried to play dead, report says

The unidentified hiker was trying to “intentionally” make noise along the trail to warn off any bears in the area, the Cowboy State Daily reported. He unexpectedly encountered a tiny boy, prompting him to reach for his bear repellent.

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