Wildlife workers have ceased their attempts to capture a grizzly bear responsible for the death of a woman near Yellowstone National Park. Amie Adamson, a 48-year-old marathon runner from Derby, Kansas, tragically lost her life in a mauling near the Montana-Idaho border last Saturday. Despite setting traps and conducting searches, there have been zero signs of the bear since the attack.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks representative, Morgan Jacobsen, stated that the incident appeared to be a defensive behavior by the grizzly bear, which is typical in such encounters. However, without any witnesses or the recovery of the bear, a definitive conclusion cannot be drawn.
Over the course of 3 nights, traps baited with meat were placed around the attack site but yielded no results. As a precaution, game wardens will continue patrolling the area for at least another week. National forest lands surrounding the site have been closed until August 25th.
Authorities have ruled out the possibility of a rare predatory attack and believe that Adamson’s encounter with the bear was most likely a chance encounter as she was traveling alone in a wooded area known to be frequented by grizzly and black bears.
Adamson was a former English teacher who left her career 2015 to embark on a backpacking journey across much of the U.S. She later penned a book titled “Walking Out” which chronicled her life as a teacher and travel experiences.
Her mother, Janet Adamson, described her daughter as a hiker, marathon runner, and “a beautiful free spirit” who lived for experiences and didn’t prioritize material possessions. She took comfort in the fact that her daughter passed away while engaging in activities she loved.
The attack occurred near the Buttermilk Trailhead, not far from a trail, a private campground, and an RV park. The grizzly bear, accompanied by one or more cubs, didn’t attempt to consume the victim, further supporting the theory of a defensive reaction.
Authorities have yet to decide whether the adult bear, if captured, will be killed or relocated. Trapping efforts may become less effective over time, as the chances increase of capturing a bear unrelated to the attack.
While grizzly bear populations in the northern U.S. Rocky Mountains have grown significantly in recent years, attacks on humans remain relatively rare in the region, which attracts several million tourists each summer. Yellowstone National Park, on average, experiences about one bear attack per year.