Officials at Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park have decided not to pursue a grizzly that attacked a hiker because it may have been trying to protect a cub at the park.
The incident occurred on Sunday, when a 35-year-old Massachusetts man was mauled by the bear in Signal Mountain. The man, being unable to flee, pretended to be dead while the bear was biting him, and the animal accidentally bit into a can of his bear mace.
After being sprayed by the mace, the bear left, and the man was able to get to safety and eventually spent the night in the hospital, park officials shared.
Officials have opted not to pursue and capture the bear or euthanize it, as it was believed to have been acting naturally after being surprised.
While Yellowstone tracks most of its 1,000-plus bears, park rangers said they were not familiar with the ones responsible for Sunday’s attack.
The man was also acting as expected, carrying bear-repellant spray and making noise to alert the animals in the forest that he was there, officials shared.
However, he did tell park rangers that he came across a small bear that ran away from him, and when he began reaching for his spray, the larger bear began charging at him from the side.
With little time to react, he fell to the ground with fingers laced behind his neck and one finger holding the spray.
The bear then began biting him several times before it clipped the pepper spray, which burst into its face and forced it away from the man.
The man was located via a helicopter and taken to a nearby hospital after he reached an area with cell phone service. His identity has not been released, but he is expected to make a full recovery.