Black bear attacks 3-year-old girl in tent at Montana campground, officials say
A young child was in a tent at a Montana campground when a female black bear wandered in and attacked her, wildlife officials said.
The attack happened at about 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at a private campsite near Red Lodge, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a Facebook post.
The child was identified as a 3-year-old girl by KECI. She was sleeping in the tent when she was attacked, KRTV reported.
The injured child was rushed to get medical help, and the campground was evacuated, officials said.
“Unsecured attractants” were found in and around the tent, including a cooler, garbage and food, officials said in a news release.
Bear likely became food-conditioned
Once the campsite was empty, wildlife officials set up traps and snares to find the animal.
The next day, they found the black bear believed to have been involved in the attack and killed it, officials said.
This bear had no previous reported conflicts, officials said, but it likely became “food-conditioned and human-habituated” from the attractants in the area.
Wildlife officials said campers should keep anything with a scent out of tents. Instead, food items should be temporarily stored in vehicles or bear boxes.
Any garbage should be put in a bear-resistant bin.
This story was originally published August 13, 2024 at 8:05 AM with the headline "Black bear attacks 3-year-old girl in tent at Montana campground, officials say."
