Hate to post all this awful news, but this is what keeps rising to the top... Last week, a man was mauled to death by a grizzly bear at Yellowstone National Park: Victim of Yellowstone grizzly bear mauling was Torrance resident.The victim was identified as 57-year-old Brian Matayoshi of Torrance, California. He and his wife were hiking on the Wapiti Lake trail last Wednesday when they encountered the bear with her two cubs. They tried to back off, but before they could get away, the grizzly attacked:
The California couple backed away and retreated in the direction they had come. When they turned to look back at the bears, the grizzly sow was already charging them, Wenk said. Matayoshi yelled to his wife to run and she took shelter behind a fallen tree at the side of the trail.This is absolutely crazy. My condolences to Brian Matayoshi's family. It sounds like it was a freak encounter, like something out of a movie -- do people really get mauled by wild animals? According to officials, this was a "1 in 3-million" occurrence, and the first time a park visitor has been killed by a bear in 25 years. More here: Yellowstone ranger says respect, don't fear, bears.
Wenk said the sow reached Brian Matayoshi first, fatally biting and clawing him. The bear then approached Marilyn Matayoshi, who was playing dead, according to Wenk. The grizzly apparently picked her up by the backpack she was wearing then dropped her to ground, uninjured.
The bear left the area and Marilyn Matayoshi rushed to check the condition of her husband, officials said, then attempted to call 911 with her cellphone. She was unable to find a signal and called for help. A group of six hikers heard her shouts and were able to call authorities, who responded in 15 to 20 minutes, Wenk said.