A woman was discovered dead following a likely grizzly bear encounter on a trail near West Yellowstone. The incident took place in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, a few miles west of Yellowstone National Park.

The discovery was made on Saturday, July 22, and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks was alerted. Initial investigations revealed the presence of grizzly bear tracks near the site, suggesting the woman’s encounter with a bear. However, the investigators have yet to confirm the exact circumstances leading to her death.

In response to the situation, park rangers have decided to temporarily close the affected area, which is a preferred locale for hiking enthusiasts. The incident highlights the growing difficulties associated with the increasing number of grizzly bears in Montana and the consequent rise in bear sightings.

Just a week prior to this incident, the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks had issued an advisory following numerous confirmed sightings of grizzly bears throughout the state, particularly in the areas linking the Northern Continental Divide and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystems. They suggested that park visitors and campers should carry bear spray, secure their food, and properly dispose of their garbage while outdoors.

Fatal encounters with grizzly bears are not common, yet the human population in Montana’s bear-populated regions has surged by as much as one-third in the last decade. This population increase, particularly in the southwestern region, has resulted in more human-grizzly bear encounters.

In July of 2022, a grizzly bear attack in a campground in western Montana resulted in a fatality. In April of the same year, a backcountry guide was fatally attacked by a grizzly bear while fishing near Yellowstone National Park’s border.