A self-inflicted pepper spray blast drives away an attacking grizzly bear in Grand Teton National Park

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming (AP) — A grizzly bear that accidentally sprayed itself with pepper spray during an attack on a hiker in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park will not be captured or killed because it may have been trying to protect a cub, park officials said in a statement.

After attacking a hiker on Signal Mountain, the grizzly bear bit into the man’s can of bear repellent and was hit by a volley of it, causing the animal to flee. The 35-year-old Massachusetts man, who played dead during the bite, was able to get to safety and spent Sunday night in the hospital.

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There was no information on when Signal Mountain or a road and trail to its 7,500-foot-high (2,300-meter) summit would reopen after they were closed because of the attack. Such closures are typical after the few grizzly attacks on public lands in the Yellowstone region each year.

The decision not to pursue the bears, even though officials determined they were behaving naturally after the surprise attack, was also consistent with attacks that do not involve raids on campsites, eating food scraps or similar behaviors that make bears more dangerous.

Rangers track and study many of the approximately 1,000 bears in the Yellowstone region, but do not know the bears responsible for the attack Sunday afternoon, the statement said.

The attack occurred even though the victim was carrying bear repellent spray and making noise to warn the bears in the forest, the statement said.

Speaking to rangers, the man said he encountered a small bear that ran away from him. As he reached for his bear repellent, he saw out of the corner of his eye a larger bear charging toward him.

He didn’t have time to use his bear spray before he fell to the ground with his fingers folded behind his neck, one finger holding the spray can.

The bear bit him several times before biting the pepper spray can, which burst and drove the bears away.

The man reached an area with cell phone reception and called for help. A helicopter and then an ambulance took him to a nearby hospital.

From the man’s description, investigators conclude that the smaller bear he saw was an older cub of the female grizzly bear that had attacked. Mother bears aggressively defend their young and stay with them for two to three years after birth.

Park officials did not release the victim’s name. He is expected to make a full recovery.