South Hadley man attacked by grizzly bear in Wyoming National Park

FILE – This April 29, 2019, photo from the United States Geological Survey shows a grizzly bear and cub along the Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. (Frank van Manen/The United States Geological Survey via AP, File)

MOOSE, Wyoming (WWLP) – A South Hadley man has been identified as the person attacked by a grizzly bear protecting her cub in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park last week.

NBC News confirmed the man’s identity as Shayne Patrick Burke of South Hadley, an Army veteran and photographer. In an Instagram post by Burke, he described the encounter with the bear as “Wrong place, wrong time.”

“It was the most violent thing I have ever experienced. I was shot at, mortared, and there were explosive devices. I am a disabled veteran in the Army Reserve,” Burke explained on his Instagram page.

Burke had traveled to the national park to photograph a great grey owl that was known to be active in the area. He told his wife he would be out in the woods for an hour to try to find a great grey owl, but realized he was gone longer than he expected. On his way back through the woods, Burke made as much noise as possible to avoid a surprise bear encounter. However, as Burke came over a slope, he saw a bear cub running up a hill just 50 yards away. Burke then saw the mother bear charging toward him.

Burke got out his bear spray, but before he could do anything, the bear was on top of him. Burke did his best to protect his vital organs by lying on his stomach and protecting his neck. He suffered bites and cuts on his back, right shoulder, and legs. Eventually, Burke was able to deploy the bear spray, causing the bear to run away.

He then texted his wife that he had been attacked and called 911 for help. While he waited for help, he used his equipment as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding on his leg. At one point, Burke feared he would die from his injuries and made a short video to tell people how much he loved them.

Fortunately, emergency responders were able to locate Burke and take him to a hospital where he underwent surgery. Burke is expected to make a full recovery from the attack.

The National Park Service told NBC News that the attack was a surprise encounter with the two bears and that the mother bear would neither be killed nor captured.