By Saira Mueller @SairaMueller s.mueller@ibtimes.com on August 08 2015 11:03 PM EDT
A grizzly bear mother and cub walk near Pelican Creek in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming Oct. 8, 2012. Getty Images/Karen Bleier/AFP
A man was found dead in Yellowstone National Park Friday afternoon, with the park saying in a statement on its online site that he was attacked by a grizzly bear, with an adult female and at least one cub likely involved.
While the man’s name has not yet been released, he is believed to have been an experienced hiker who was working with a company that runs urgent-care clinics in the park.
Yellowstone said in its statement that the man’s body was found by a park ranger. It was partially consumed and covered near the Elephant Back Loop Trail in the park’s Lake Village area, after the man had been reported missing by his co-workers Friday morning.
“While the exact cause of death has not been determined, investigators have identified what appear to be defensive wounds on the victim’s forearms,” Yellowstone said.
The park added that bear traps have been set in the area: “If bears are trapped and identified as having been involved in the attack, they will be euthanized.”
The Elephant Back Loop Trail has been closed in the wake of the attack. “We may not be able to conclusively determine the circumstances of this bear attack, but we will not risk public safety,” Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk said in the statement.