Montana Grizzly Bear Attack: Mountain Biker Sustains Critical Injuries To Face, Neck During Encounter

A man was critically injured after being attacked by a grizzly bear while he was mountain biking. The incident took place on a private property near Big Sky, Montana, on Monday (May 25).

According to Morgan Jacobsen, a spokesperson for Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the man, who was in his 60’s, was mountain biking alone on a trail on a private property in the Spanish Peaks Community when he was attacked.

The biker managed to escape and walked to the South Fork Road where he received help from a motorist. It wasn’t sure as to how long the biker had to walk before finding help.

He sustained injuries to his face and back during the encounter with the bear and was airlifted to a hospital. He was said to be in a critical but stable condition. The identity of the man was not revealed.

According to the wildlife agency's initial investigation, it was determined that the bear attack was not intentional. It said the bear likely attacked him as it was surprised by the biker when he rounded a sharp corner on the trail.

"It does not look like a predatory attack," said Jacobsen.

He also asked people living near bear territories to carry bear spray, stay in groups, and avoid areas with animal carcasses. He also urged them to keep an eye out for bear activity in the area.

The trail was closed for investigation following the incident. However, authorities were not actively searching for the bear that attacked the victim. The case was still under investigation. No further information was available.

In a similar incident, an elderly man and his pet dog were attacked by a bear in Oregon on May 10. The 72-year-old man and the canine were hiking on a private property when they located a black bear about 20 feet away from them. The dog immediately started barking and ran toward the predator, but it was knocked down by the bear. The owner tried to scare the bear away by yelling, however, it then charged toward the man and attacked him. The bear was killed following the incident and both the victim and his canine were expected to make a full recovery.