A woman was discovered dead after apparently encountering a bear near Yellowstone National Park in Montana, authorities said.
The deadly attack follows a series of fatal or seriously damaging bear attacks across the country, including ones in Arizona, North Carolina and Colorado.
According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, authorities discovered a woman’s body early on Saturday morning on Buttermilk Trail west of West Yellowstone, Montana.
According to authorities, the tracks of a grizzly bear were discovered at the site. An investigation is still underway.
The victim of the bear attack was identified by her family as Amie Adamson, 47, of Derby, Kansas. Adamson, who was working in Yellowstone for the summer, was attacked by a mother grizzly as she went out for a morning walk, according to her mother, Janet Adamson.
“She was a free spirit adventurer that loved the outdoors, hiked, ran and explored. She died doing something she loved in a place she loved…,” Janet Adamson wrote in a Facebook post.
Wildlife officials claim the Custer Gallatin National Forest abruptly closed the Buttermilk area out of concern for human safety. About 8 miles separate West Yellowstone from the closure zone.
According to a statement from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, grizzly bear populations have increased recently.
In Arizona last month, a 66-year-old man was killed by a bear in what authorities called a “highly unusual” unprovoked attack.
Authorities said the victim, Steven Jackson, of Tucson, was in the process of building a home nearby. According to Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, the bear attacked him as he sat in a chair outside his tent.
Another bear incident occurred July 11 in Colorado’s San Juan National Forest when a 35-year-old sheepherder was attacked by a black bear, according to the state Department of Parks and Wildlife.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the man suffered severe injuries to his head, left hand, left arm, back, and left hip.
“This is an unfortunate incident and we are thankful the victim was able to contact help to get emergency services deployed and that he was able to be extracted to receive necessary medical care,” CPW Area Wildlife Manager Adrian Archuleta said in a news release.
According to ABC affiliate WSOC, a man from North Carolina had a similar incident with a bear on July 7 while out for a run in the Pisgah National Forest.
Bill Palas told WSOC that he encountered a mother bear during a morning run. In an attempt to defend himself, he struck the animal with his arm, causing his arm to land in the bear’s mouth. Palas suffered injuries to his face, chest and arm before the bear eventually fled with her cub.
“I was running on adrenaline and shock,” Palas said. “I got 20 yards or so down the steep hill and I surveyed myself. You know, how bad am I? All I know is blood is just gushing out everywhere.”
According to the National Park Service, bear attacks are rare despite these cases.
According to the National Park Service, eight people have died from bear attacks since Yellowstone National Park was established. This is a much lower rate than drownings (125 incidents) or burns (23 incidents).