Fatal Bear Attacks in North America

Most Fatal Bear Attacks in North America have been documented in the last 40 years.


  • This list of Bear attacks leading to fatalities is intended for educational purposes on statistics, frequency and geographic location. More specific information on each of these encounters can be found by using this information to perform additional searches.



Defensive Grizzly Mother Bear Attack

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  • Most bear attacks resulting in fatalities from Grizzly or Brown, Black and Polar Bears have been documented, however, this list does not contain all fatal attacks.



Angry Black Bear Approaching


Fatal Bear Attacks in 2000s


Name, age, genderDateBear SpeciesArea, Info
Robin Kochorek, 31, femaleJuly 20, 2007Black BearRobin Kochorek was reported missing on July 20th after being separated from friends while mountain biking at Panorama Mountain Resort, British Columbia. A black bear killed her and was near Robin's body when recovered at 8 a.m. July 21st. Indications were that the bear had preyed upon this person or was trying to claim ownership.
Samuel Evan Ives, 11, maleJune 17, 2007Black BearSamuel Evan Ives was taken from his tent in American Fork Canyon, in the Uinta National Forest, Utah County. Samuel was sleeping in the tent with his stepfather, mother and 6-year-old brother. The bear was later destroyed by Utah state Wildlife officials.
Elora Petrasek, 6, femaleApril 13, 2006Black BearShe was killed and her mother and 2 year-old brother seriously injured in an attack in the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee.
Arthur Louie, 60, maleSeptember 20, 2005Brown or GrizzlyKilled by a female while he was walking back to his mining camp after his car had a flat tire at Bowron River, British Columbia.
Jacqueline Perry, 30, femaleSeptember 6, 2005Black BearKilled in a predatory attack at the Missinaibi Lake Provincial Park, north of Chapleau, Ontario, Canada. Her husband was seriously injured in the attack.
69, maleAugust 26, 2005Black BearFatally mauled while picking plums at Selkirk, north of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Rich Huffman, 61, male; Kathy Huffman, 58, femaleJune 23, 2005Brown or GrizzlyKilled in their tent at a campsite along the Hulahula river 12 miles upriver from Kaktovik in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Isabelle Dube, 35, femaleJune 5, 2005Brown or GrizzlyKilled while jogging with 2 friends on the Bench Trail in Canmore, Alberta
Merlyn Carter, 71, male2005Black BearFound dead in the main cabin of his fishing camp located 300 km Northeast of Ft. Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada.
Timothy Treadwell, 46, male; Amie Huguenard, 37, femaleOctober 2003Brown or GrizzlyFound by their pilot, dead and partially consumed at Katmai National Park, Alaska on October 6, 2003. Treadwell was world-famous for his books and documentaries on living with wild bears in Alaska. State Troopers investigating the incident recovered an audiotape of the attack.
Forestry workerApril 17, 2003Black BearStalked, killed and partially consumed by a large, Black bear near Waswanipi, a village in northern Quebec.
male citizen of Alberta, CanadaSeptember 2002Black BearAttacked and killed at a remote oil rigging site in northeastern British Columbia.
male hunterSeptember 2002Black BearAttacked and killed in his campsite in Gaspé region of northern Quebec.
Ester Schwimmer, 5 months, femaleAugust 2002Black BearBear grabs and kills 5 month old infant from stroller on the porch of home in Fallsburg, New York
Adelia Maestras Trujillo, 93, femaleAugust 2001Black BearBear breaks into a house in New Mexico and is confronted by the elderly owner who dies during the attack.
Kyle Harry, 18, maleJune 3, 2001Black BearAttacked and killed at a rural campsite 25 km. east of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, Canada.
George Tullos, 41, maleJuly 14, 2000Brown or GrizzlyHis partially consumed body was found at Run Amuk campground in Hyder, Alaska.
Mary-Beth Miller, 24, femaleJuly 2000Black BearAttacked and killed while on a training run in Quebec, Canada.
Glena Ann Bradley, femaleMay 2000Black BearKilled and partially consumed by a 112 pound female and her 40 pound yearling. The attack occurred while she was walking on a trail near Smokey Mountains Campground near Gatlinburg, Tennessee


Grizzly Bear Pre - Attack

Fatal Bear Attacks in 1990s


Name, age, genderDateBear SpeciesArea, Info
Ned Rasmussen, maleNovember 1999Brown or GrizzlyFound dead 2 days after he disappeared on a deer hunting trip on Uganik Island, Alaska.
Ken Cates, 53, maleMay 25, 1999Brown or GrizzlyKilled while hiking on the Funny River Trail near Soldotna, Alaska. Investigators found bear blood at the scene, and determined that Cates fired two shots with his rifle scoring at least one hit. The bear was never found.
Craig Dahl, 26, maleMay 17, 1998Brown or GrizzlyLast seen alive hiking in the Two Medicine area of Glacier National Park. His partially consumed remains were found three days later.
Audelio Luis Cortes, 40, maleFebruary 8, 1998Brown or GrizzlyKilled by a single head bite while working with a seismic crew in the Swanson River oil field near Kenai, Alaska
Marcie Trent, 77, female; and her son, Larry Waldron, 45July 1, 1995Brown or GrizzlyKilled by a bear defending a moose carcass on the McHugh Creek Trail near Anchorage, Alaska.
John Petranyi, maleOctober 3, 1992Brown or GrizzlyAttacked and killed by a female with 2 cubs on the Loop Trail, Upper McDonald Valley, Glacier National Park.
1991Algonquin Park, Canada


Black Bear Watching, Stalking or Hiding

Fatal Bear Attacks in 1980s


Name, age, genderDateBear SpeciesArea, Info
Gary Goeden, malefound September 1, 1987; missing since July 28, 1987Brown or GrizzlyHis partially consumed remains were found at Natahki Lake, Many Glacier Valley, Glacier National Park.
Charles Gibbs, 40, maleApril 25, 1987Brown or GrizzlyHe was last seen alive following and photographing a female with cubs at Elk Mountain in Glacier National Park. Investigators recovered film of the female approaching in attack mode at 50 yards.
PhotographerOctober 1986Brown or GrizzlyApproached an adult female too closely in Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park.
BackpackerJuly 1984Brown or GrizzlyKilled at a backcountry campsite at the southern end of White Lake in Yellowstone National Park.
CamperJune 1983Brown or GrizzlyKilled at the Rainbow Point campground in the Gallatin National Forest just Northwest of Yellowstone National Park.
Laurence Gordon, maleSeptember 30, 1980Brown or GrizzlyAttacked and killed at the Elizabeth Lake campsite in the Belly River valley, Glacier National Park.
Jane Ammerman, female; Kim Eberly, maleJuly 24, 1980Brown or GrizzlyAttacked and killed at Divide Creek in the St. Mary valley, Glacier National Park.

Fatal Bear Attacks in 1970s


Name, age, genderDateBear SpeciesArea, Info
1978Algonquin Park, Canada
Mary Pat Mahoney, 22, femaleSeptember 23, 1976Brown or GrizzlyShe was dragged from a tent and killed at Many Glacier campground in Glacier National Park.
maleJune 1972Brown or GrizzlyKilled by a bear that was feeding on food that was left out at Yellowstone National Park.

Fatal Bear Attacks in 1960s


Name, age, genderDateBear SpeciesArea, Info
Julie Helgeson, 19, femaleAugust 13, 1967Brown or GrizzlyKilled at Granite Park campsite in Glacier National Park by a female bear. Helgeson's companion, Roy Ducat, was severely mauled during the attack.
Michelle Koons, 19, femaleAugust 13, 1967Brown or GrizzlyKilled at Trout Lake campsite in Glacier National Park by a female bear.

Although Helgeson and Koons were the same age and killed on the same night, these were separate attacks by different bears approximately 10 miles apart.





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