‘Aggressive’ bear shoves camper out of his hammock and wrecks sleeping bag in Wyoming

A man was relaxing in his hammock before a bear appeared next to him, officials said.

The man was camping in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest on Friday, June 10, when a black bear started tearing through his campsite, officials said.

The bear pushed the man out of his hammock in Teton Canyon, officials said. It then continued to destroy a sleeping bag and the hammock.

Video shows the bear running through the campsite with the sleeping bag in its mouth. The bear also repeatedly hit the hammock.

“The bear then tried to enter an occupied tent before it was finally scared away,” officials said. “Fortunately, no one was injured during this interaction.”

Officials quickly shut down camping in the area except in “hard-sided vehicles.” Wyoming Game and Fish set up a bear trap in the area, but the bear did not return to the location for three days in a row.

“Even though the bear still shows some healthy fear towards humans, its aggressiveness towards camps, tents, stationary items and food rewards is increasing, which is why we no longer feel it’s safe to camp in anything other than a hard-sided vehicle” Recreation Manager Joe McFarlane said in a June 14 news release.

Teton Canyon is still open for recreational use, but officials urge people to take “extreme precaution” while they’re in the area.

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest encompasses more than 3 million acres along the Idaho-Wyoming border. The Teton Canyon Campground is east of Driggs, Idaho and has about 20 campsites.

What to do if you see a bear

Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. Bears in most attacks are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.

There are some steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.

• Identify yourself: Talk calmly and slowly wave your arms. This can help the bear realize you’re a human and nonthreatening.

• Stay calm: Bears usually don’t want to attack, but they want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear.

• Don’t scream: Screaming could trigger an attack

• Pick up small children: Don’t let the kids run away from the bear. It could think they’re small prey.

• Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.

• Make yourself look big: Move to higher ground and stand tall. Don’t make any sudden movements.

• Don’t drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide you some protection.

• Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out.

• Again, don’t run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.

• Don’t climb trees: Grizzlies and black bears can also climb.

This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 8:32 AM with the headline "‘Aggressive’ bear shoves camper out of his hammock and wrecks sleeping bag in Wyoming."