Woman hiker killed by bear near U.S. Yellowstone National Park

LOS ANGELES, July 24 (Xinhua) -- A woman hiker was killed in an encounter with a bear Saturday on a trail near the Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. state of Montana, authorities said Monday.

Game wardens with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department were notified on Saturday morning that a hiker had found a woman deceased on the trail, about 8 miles (12.8 kilometers) west of the town of West Yellowstone, a gateway to the Yellowstone National Park, one of the largest and best-known national parks in the United States, said the agency in a statement on its Facebook page.

The department's wardens and bear specialists, along with staff from other agencies, found that the woman had wounds consistent with a bear attack. They also found tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub near the site, according to the statement.

The woman was believed to be alone during the encounter, and no bear spray or firearms were found at the scene, the statement added.

The Custer Gallatin National Forest, which is critical to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, implemented an emergency closure of the area as a safety precaution. Authorities notified residents and visitors nearby of the bear activity and the U.S. Forest Service closure.

Officials said that bear specialists and game wardens are conducting capture operations and no bears have been captured to date.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department noted that the western U.S. state is "bear country."

"Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year," said the department.

Since Yellowstone was established in 1872, eight people have been killed by bears in the park. Since 1979, Yellowstone has hosted over 118 million visits. During this time, 44 people were injured by grizzly bears in the park. For all park visitors combined, the chances of being injured by a grizzly bear are approximately 1 in 2.7 million visits, said the park on its official website.