Montana man hospitalized after fatally shooting grizzly bear

July 20 (UPI) – A 72-year-old Montana man was attacked by a grizzly bear while picking blueberries and was forced to shoot the bear with a pistol.

On Thursday, the unidentified Columbia Falls resident was in the Flathead National Forest near North Fork Road in northwest Montana when the grizzly bear attacked him, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials announced Friday.

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The man is in hospital, but no information about his condition has been released.

Montana wildlife officials and local bear experts are investigating the bear attack to determine whether the man accidentally got between the bear and any cubs.

Investigators confirmed that the encounter was a surprise bear attack that ended with the man killing the bear with a pistol of unknown caliber.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks employees shot and killed an adult female grizzly bear on Thursday. The bear had become accustomed to stealing food from people and breaking into homes in and around Gardiner. Gardiner has a population of about 800 and is located north of Yellowstone National Park.

This incident occurred about 300 miles away from the grizzly bear attack in the Columbia Falls area.

Garbage, barbecue grills and pet food often attract bears, which can lead to dangerous encounters.

Montana wildlife managers often capture and relocate grizzly bears that cause problems, but shoot those that attack people or continue to cause problems after relocation.

The Endangered Species Act lists grizzly bears as a threatened species, but many officials in the Rocky Mountain states want to revoke the bears’ protected status.

If the bears’ protected status were lifted, licensed grizzly bear hunts could be conducted and local populations could be better controlled.