On Sunday night, a black bear mauled a three-year-old toddler who was sleeping inside her family’s tent at a campground in Montana, according to reports from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and The Associated Press. The child is in the hospital, and there is currently no update on her condition.
The private campground where the incident took place is near Red Lodge, Montana, which is north of Yellowstone National Park. Authorities say they evacuated the campground after the attack. FWP staff then set traps and snares to capture the bear that mauled the toddler, which they caught and euthanized on Monday.
“FWP found unsecured attractants, including garbage, a cooler, and human food, around and inside the tent where the attack occurred,” the agency said in a press release.
According to FWP, the black bear involved in the attack had no history of conflicts. “However, the bear had likely become food-conditioned and human-habituated after accessing unsecured attractants in the area,” the agency said.
Be Bear Aware
“People should be prepared to encounter grizzly or black bears in Montana,” FWP says. “Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts.”
Here are some tips from Montana FWP for being bear safe while camping:
- Keep food and anything with a scent out of tents.
- Properly store unattended food. Options include bear boxes, hard-sided vehicles (for temporary storage), and IGBC-certified bear-resistant containers.
- Dispose of garbage in bear-resistant bins.