A woman walking her dog along the Yellowstone River south of Emigrant was attacked by a bear Monday afternoon. The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Livingston.
The encounter occurred on the northeast portion of the Point of Rocks Fishing Access Site. The woman reported having walked out to a gravel bar that is typically an island when the river is running higher. It was there – in an area with brush and trees – that she was surprised by the bear. The encounter was brief, involving a likely bite to the head. The bear appeared to have been chased off by the woman’s dog.
The Park County Sheriff’s Office initially responded to the incident and Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is now investigating.
The northeast portion of the Point of Rocks Fishing Access Site has been closed by FWP with signs alerting users to the closure at multiple access points.
In speaking with FWP Monday, local landowners reported seeing a lone male grizzly bear in the area recently.
FWP reminds the public that bears often seek foods at lower elevations along the Yellowstone and other southwest Montana rivers during this time of year.
