WEST GLACIER — Last week, a fatal bear encounter occurred in Glacier National Park for the first time since 1998.
Two hikers in Yellowstone National Park were also injured in a bear attack.
Wildlife officials are reminding the public about bear safety.
Anthony Nelson is the executive director of Glacier Institute, the official education partner of Glacier National Park.
Nelson said bears are active this time of year and that making noise on trails can reduce the risk of surprise encounters.
"If you're coming around coves where you can't see the other side or if you're hiking near loud water or anything that would obstruct your hearing, it could obstruct a bear's hearing as well, so make sure that you're making a lot of noise in those situations," Nelson said.
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During a surprise bear encounter, Nelson said a person has about two seconds on average to respond.
He advises people to practice using bear spray and keep it easily accessible.
"Always carry it in the same place, always have it on the front of your body, don't keep it in the packaging from the store, don't have it in the little side-thing in your backpack because it's really difficult to get to," he said. "Make sure that it's on the front of your body, and just practice pulling it out over and over again."
Nelson said surprise bear encounters can happen on populated trails in the park.
He advises hiking in groups and avoiding distractions.
"It's really important that you are just kind of visualizing what that's going to look like and actually practice, there's a huge element of muscle memory involved before you go out on the trails and thinking about how you're going to respond if you do see a bear," Nelson said.
More information on bear safety can be found here.
