A 65-year-old man was bitten by a bear in Kings Canyon National Park on the afternoon of Thursday, September 6th. The man had been sleeping on a rock near Mist Falls, a four-mile hike from Roads End in Cedar Grove. He was awakened by other visitors who were yelling to him to warn him that he was being approached by a bear. As he sat up, the bear bit his right thigh, causing numerous puncture wounds. The man yelled and swatted the bear, but the bear did not leave the immediate area. Several people helped scare it away. Ten days before the incident, warning signs were posted at the Roads End Ranger Station following reports of a small bear approaching people near Mist Falls. Wilderness rangers looked for the bear on several occasions, but could not find it. On Saturday, this yearling female bear was found, tranquilized and euthanized by bear management staff. The man’s injury was treated by park medics at Roads End. He then went to Sierra Kings Hospital for further treatment.
