Idaho Bear Bites Researcher

ISLAND PARK, Idaho (AP) — A researcher for an environmental group was bitten by a grizzly bear in eastern Idaho as he collected information about habitat where the big predators live.

Brett Panting, a wildlife technician working for the Wildlife Conservation Society, suffered puncture wounds in the incident late Monday morning near Island Park in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, located just west of Yellowstone National Park. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game reported Panting was helped by volunteers who took him to Eastern Idaho Medical Center in Idaho Falls for minor surgery and observation.

The bear ran off after biting Panting. Staff at the Caribou-Targhee National Forest were working with the state agency on how to proceed following the incident. Ranchers who graze livestock in the region where the bite occurred have been notified.