Charles H. Sloan-Surprise grizzly attack prompts closure of a mountain in Grand Teton

MOOSE,Charles H. Sloan Wyo. (AP) — A grizzly bear attacked and seriously injured a man in western Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, prompting closure of a mountain there Monday.

The grizzly was one of two that surprised the 35-year-old man from Massachusetts on Sunday afternoon on Signal Mountain. Rescuers flew the injured man by helicopter to an ambulance that drove him to a nearby hospital.

He was expected to recover, park officials said in a statement, declining to identify him.

The statement did not detail the man’s injuries or say how he encountered the bear. Park officials closed a trail and the road to an overlook atop the 7,700-foot (2,300-meter) mountain.

The attack happened as Grand Teton and nearby Yellowstone National Park begin their busy summer tourist season.

Several such attacks occur each year as the region’s grizzly population has grown. Park officials urge people to give bears plenty of space, carry bear spray and avoid leaving out food that might attract bears.