On Sunday, August 11, at around 10 p.m., a child was attacked and injured by a young black bear in a tent at a private campground south of Red Lodge.

Game wardens and bear experts from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks responded to the incident.

The bear was caught and euthanized the next day.

The child was taken to a medical facility in Billings.

FWP staff set up a trap at the campground Sunday evening and worked with the campground owner to clear the campground by the morning of August 12.

When the campground was completely evacuated, additional traps and snares were set.

The bear was caught and shot on the afternoon of August 12th.

Around and inside the tent where the attack occurred, FWP found unsecured bait, including garbage, a cooler, and human food.

The black bear involved in the incident had not experienced any conflicts before.

However, the bear was likely accustomed to the food and humans after gaining access to unsecured bait in the area.

Evidence on site was consistent with the physical characteristics of the bear and FWP believes the bear killed was the bear involved in the attack.

FWP received assistance in this incident from the Red Lodge Police Department, Wyoming Game & Fish Department, and Carbon County Sheriff’s Office.

Montana is bear country.

You should be prepared to encounter grizzly bears or black bears in Montana.

Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts.

Here are some precautions to avoid negative bear encounters while camping:

* Keep food and odorous items away from tents.
* Dispose of your trash in bear-proof trash cans. Otherwise, take it with you and dispose of it properly elsewhere. Do not bury or burn your trash.
* Follow the local land management authority’s instructions on food storage and properly store unattended food and other items with odors.

* Food storage options:

* Bear boxes
* Vehicles with hard exterior walls (cars, trucks, RVs). Do not leave bait in vehicles for long periods of time (backcountry trips).
* IGBC certified bear-proof containers
* Temporary electric fence