CNN —A 72-year-old Montana man shot and killed a grizzly bear after it attacked him while he was alone picking huckleberries, according to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The man was hospitalized after the encounter, which happened Thursday evening near Columbia Falls on Flathead National Forest lands, the agency said in a news release.
FWP’s wardens and bear specialists referred to the incident as a “surprise defensive encounter.”The man reportedly shot the bear with a handgun after the adult female grizzly charged him, the release stated.
Grizzly bears, which live in the US states of Montana, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and Washington, feed on berries as part of their diet, according to the North American Bear Center.
Bear attacks are rare, with most bears usually interested in protecting their space, food or cubs, according to the National Park Service.
Persons:
FWP
Organizations:
CNN, Montana Department of Fish, Montana Department of Fish , Wildlife, North American Bear Center, Huckleberries, University of Washington, National Park Service
Locations:
Montana, Montana Department of Fish ,, Parks, Columbia Falls, Flathead, “ Montana, Montana , Alaska , Idaho , Wyoming, Washington