Overview
- A hiker reported hearing a scream and calling for help after a bear attacked someone on the north shore of Lake Josephine, with the episode occurring on Thursday, May 21.
- Rangers quickly moved to the scene, instructed nearby hikers to return to the trailhead, posted new closures for trails past Many Glacier Hotel, and were seen carrying an empty stretcher up the trail.
- This Lake Josephine incident follows the May 6 discovery of 22-year-old Anthony Pollio, whose injuries the park said were consistent with a bear encounter and whose case remains under investigation.
- Other recent close calls at Lake Josephine include two hikers who recorded grizzly bears on the south shore and used bear spray without injury, and experts say most attacks happen when bears are surprised or defending food or cubs in spring.
- Glacier National Park has issued alerts, closed trail sections, and urged visitors to travel in groups, make noise, carry and know how to use bear spray, and follow park advisories as staff continue monitoring and investigating.