Woman injured in bear attack

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks was investigating a reported bear attack in a remote section of the Cabinet Mountains south of Libby on Thursday.

At about 11:30 a.m., wildlife officials responded to the report of a bear attack on an adult woman, according to an FWP press release. The victim reported the incident and was transported by ambulance to an area along U.S. 2 before the ALERT air ambulance transported her to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

The FWP Region 1 Wildlife Human Attack Response Team was dispatched to the area immediately upon notification.

According to FWP’s Dillon Tabish, the team was still investigating the scene and looking for the bear Thursday afternoon.

Tabish said it was the first reported bear attack in Northwest Montana this year.

The type of bear involved in the conflict is unknown at this time, as are the circumstances of the encounter.

“The [bear] population in the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem is very small; only about 50 grizzly bears are there. As for the black bear population, it is much larger,” Tabish said.