Grizzly Bear Severely Mauls New York Man, 68, Hiking in Wyoming

A man from New York has been severely mauled by a grizzly bear whilst hiking alone at high altitude in Wyoming.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) said the attack took place on Monday, with the hiker injured on Francs Peak, west of Meeteetse.

Local news outlet Jackson Hole Press said the 68-year-old man, who has not been identified, was on a multi-day trip when he was attacked. An investigation into the attack was ongoing as of Tuesday with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department stating that it appeared to have been "a surprise encounter between the individual and a grizzly bear."

The injured man has been described as an "out-of-state recreationist" who was hiking at high altitude when he came into contact with the animal. "The encounter happened too suddenly for him to deploy the bear spray he was carrying," WGFD said in a statement.

Both grizzly and black bears inhabit the state of Wyoming. While incidents of bear attacks are relatively rare, they can be fatal. One research paper tallied 183 bear attacks on humans in North America between the years 2000 and 2015, with about 14 percent of these resulting in human fatalities.

In Yellowstone National Park, which stretches into Wyoming, 44 people have been injured by grizzly bears since 1979 and eight killed since 1872 according to the National Park Service (NPS).

To minimize the risk, the NPS says people should take precautions such as being alert for bears, not hiking alone or at night, carrying bear spray, not leaving belongings lying around, periodically making noise, and staying on maintained trails. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's website has information on bear safety on its Bear Wise section.

Monday's distress call was received by the Park County Sheriff's Office on just after 3:00 p.m. local time. Due to the reported elevation, responders initially thought it had come from a downed aircraft, according to Jackson Hole Press.

The source of the call was determined to be a Personal Locator Beacon, and a medical helicopter was launched. Responders found the severely injured man and he was transported for treatment.

"We wish the individual a full and speedy recovery," Corey Class, regional wildlife supervisor for the Cody area, said in a statement.

As of Tuesday, no information was available about the man's condition.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said it would "continue to monitor bear activity in the area and will make management decisions in the best interest of public safety."