A woman who was savagely mauled to death by a grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park has been named and pictured by her heartbroken family.
The body of Amie Adamson, 47, of Derby, Kansas, was discovered on Buttermilk Trail west of West Yellowstone, Montana, on Saturday morning.
Her mother, Janet Adamson, posted to Facebook: "This is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to put on here. Yesterday morning we lost our beautiful, smart, talented daughter, Amie. Our first born." The post has since been taken down.
Ms Adamson told Good Morning America: "Every morning, she'd get up early, and she'd walk, hike or run.
"Running through that beauty of Yellowstone - she was almost in heaven. She died doing what she loved."
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Amie died 'doing what she loved' (Facebook)A relative of the woman wrote in a Facebook post: "Just learned that my cousin Tom Adamson and Janet lost their oldest daughter yesterday morning.
"She was attacked by a momma bear while on her morning hike in Yellowstone where she was working this summer.
"Please keep them in your prayers as they bring her home to Kansas tomorrow to make arrangements."
Crews are in search of the bear that attacked Amie, while Morgan Jacobsen with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said there was no sign that the bear, which was travelling with at least one cub, tried to eat Amie.
Fit and active Amie is seen in pictures broadcast on TV as her heartbroken family speak out (abc7)Authorities could not say for certain whether Amie was preyed upon or whether it was a chance encounter as she travelled alone in a wooded area frequented by grizzly and black bears. Amie was found wearing running shoes and did not appear to have bear spray on her.
A trail camera captured an image of a grizzly bear with two cubs in the area on Saturday, but there have been no sightings since, Jacobsen said.
Traps set for the bears on Saturday and Sunday nights came up empty, and attempts to locate the bears from an aircraft were unsuccessful.
It is not clear as of yet if they would set traps again Monday night or whether they have decided to kill or relocate the adult bear if it is captured, Jacobsen said.
Authorities determined Amie Adamson was killed during an encounter with a bear (Getty Images)As time goes by, he added, trapping becomes less effective as chances increase of catching a bear that wasn't involved in the attack.
The FWP was notified and dispatched to the scene after a fellow hiker discovered the lifeless body of the victim at around 8am Saturday.
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Upon arrival, FWP game wardens and bear specialists found evidence pointing to a bear attack as the cause of the tragic incident.
Tracks of an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub were identified in the vicinity, although no bears were spotted during the initial investigation. Notably, there were no signs of a daybed or animal carcass nearby.
The lifeless body of Amie Adamson, 47, was found on Buttermilk Trail west of West Yellowstone, Montana (Getty Images)As a precautionary measure, the Custer Gallatin National Forest implemented an emergency closure of the area. The popular hiking trail also is used by people with ATVs and other off-road vehicles.
The emergency closure was put in place to "address bear activity creating unsafe conditions". It's been said the closure will remain in place from July 22, until August 25, or until it is cancelled, and "prohibits all human entry".
The Buttermilk Area Closure follows the Continental Divide Trail from the trailhead near Targhee Pass on Highway 20, south to the confluence with Cream Creek Road. The closure follows these roads to the east and north back to the Forest Service boundary just south of Highway 20 and to the west to connect with the Continental Divide Trail.
FWP's bear specialists and game wardens notified residents and visitors in the vicinity about the bear activity, along with the US Forest Service's closure of the affected area.
Due to the incident's proximity to residential areas, campgrounds, and a heavily-used OHV trail system, capture operations were initiated. However, as of now, no bears have been captured.
Amie is believed to have been alone during the encounter, and authorities did not find any bear spray or firearms at the scene.
Yellowstone National Park is an incredible destination for walking and wildlife (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, with FWP and the US Fish & Wildlife Service working jointly to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
The department put out a news release last week warning visitors that staff had confirmed grizzly bear sightings throughout the state, "particularly in areas between the Northern Continental Divide and the Great Yellowstone ecosystems."
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks suggested people going outdoors in areas where there are bears, should follow some precautionary steps:
- Carry and know how to use bear spray.
- Travel in groups whenever possible and plan to be out in the daylight hours.
- Avoid carcass sites and concentrations of ravens and other scavengers.
- Watch for signs of bears such as bear scat, diggings, torn-up logs and turned-over rocks, and partly consumed animal carcasses.
- Make noise, especially near streams or in thick forest where hearing and visibility are limited, to alert bears to your presence.
- Don't approach a bear.
Who was Amie Adamson?
Amie Adamson was a former English teacher who had written a book titled "Walking Out: One Teacher's Reflections on Walking Out of the Classroom to Walk America".
According to her book's description, Amie embarked on a 2200-mile backpacking trip across the United States in 2015. Burned out and frustrated with the public education system, she sought restoration and reflection through the journey.
During her hike, she recorded her daily thoughts, experiences, and reflections on walking across America alone as a woman.
Her writings also include long-form essays about teaching English in modern public schools, offering insight into the challenges faced by teachers in the profession.
Combining humour and introspection, she shared her observations about the kindness of people she met along the way and the sense of contentment and peace achieved through physical challenges.
Increase in grizzly bears
Grizzly bear populations in the northern US Rocky Mountains have grown significantly in recent decades. Since 2010, grizzlies in and around Yellowstone have killed at least nine people, but attacks remain relatively rare in the region, which draws several million tourists each summer.
Montana is described by the FWP as "bear country", who warn that: "Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year."
Certain parts of Yellowstone have restrictions in place to "reduce encounters between bears and humans". These areas have been set up by wildlife biologists in locations where there is a high density of elk and bison carcasses and lots of bear activity.
Restrictions in these areas may include area closures, trail closures, a minimum group size of four or more people, day use only, or no off-trail travel.
A backcountry guide was killed near West Yellowstone two years ago when he was mauled by a large grizzly bear that wildlife officials said was probably defending a nearby moose carcass. And a hiker was killed north of Yellowstone park last year in a suspected grizzly encounter in a remote area of the Absaroka Mountains south of Livingston, Montana.
Encounters with humans can prove deadly for bears, too: A five-year-old female grizzly in Glacier National Park was euthanized last week after officials said it got used to eating food from campgrounds and was becoming increasingly aggressive.
Grizzlies are protected under federal law outside of Alaska. Elected officials in the Yellowstone region are pushing to lift protections and allow grizzly hunting.
State officials last week warned visitors and residents of grizzly bear sightings throughout the state, “particularly in areas between the Northern Continental Divide and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystems.”
They implored those camping and visiting parks to carry bear spray, store their food while outside and tend to their garbage.
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