A camper scared off a bear — then the grizzly came back and killed her
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 5 months ago
Early on July 6, 2021, Leah Lokan awoke to a 417-pound grizzly bear a few feet from her tent, so close that she heard when the bear “huffed” at her head.
“Bear! Bear!” Lokan yelled, prompting Joe and Kim Cole — two other cyclists camping in the small town of Ovando as they trekked across Montana — to spring from their nearby tent, armed with bear spray and clamoring as much as possible, according to a 26-page report addressed by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s executive body earlier this month.
The bear fled.
After scaring it off, Lokan, a 65-year-old visiting from Chico, Calif., moved food out of her tent to a nearby building. She armed herself with a can of bear spray. She declined an offer to stay in a hotel for the night. Then, she and the Coles returned to their respective tents.
Lokan’s extra precautionary measures weren’t enough. The bear returned about an hour after the first encounter and mauled her to death.
A year later, wildlife officials said the bear that killed her had developed a “predatory instinct.” Although they couldn’t determine exactly how such an instinct evolved, food and toiletries inside and near Lokan’s tent, as well as the lingering smell of cooked food from July Fourth picnic celebrations, likely played a role.
“While foraging under the cover of darkness in Ovando, perhaps due to a simple movement made by the sleeping victim, or a certain sound made by the victim, the bear reacted,” the committee’s board of review wrote in their Jan. 4 report, which was discussed earlier this month during the executive body’s summer meeting. The 11-member review board included officials from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and the U.S. Forest Service.
The bolded section highlights three bad decisions. She should never have had food in her tent to begin with. Next, bear spray isn’t enough. Third, a hotel rather than a tent near city establishments would have been a better choice.
Getting rid of food is essential. Protection is necessary. A large bore handgun would have been the right medicine.
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On July 20, 2022 at 10:28 pm, Fred said:
“A year later, wildlife officials said the bear that killed her had developed a “predatory instinct.” Although they couldn’t determine exactly how such an instinct evolved …”
Does one laugh or cry at this utter idiocy? And, twice mentioned as such, bear spray is NOT an armament.
On July 21, 2022 at 5:12 am, Mike Austin said:
Bear spray works well. Except in a tent. Except in the wind. Except in the rain. Except at night when you can’t see the bear. My Smith & Wesson .40 always works though. These folks might have wished they had one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0AHvPpGrDU
Oh well. Darwin Award winner for sure.
On July 21, 2022 at 6:42 am, J said:
Sad to say, but it’s a simple case of mother nature culling the weak minded.
On July 21, 2022 at 6:43 am, Whynot said:
I neither mourn nor grieve. Rather, I acknowledge an oxygen-thief has been removed. My only hope is IF she bore children, that they are smarter than her…..
On July 21, 2022 at 7:19 am, Dan said:
What type of caliber firearm you possess is irrelevant if you are asleep in a tent. A bear can easily render you incapable of resisting before you are even aware enough to react. In bear country sleeping in a tent is a major risk no matter how “prepared” you are. If you must sleep in tents in bear country the only reasonable way to do so is in groups with an armed person awake and on watch at all times.
On July 21, 2022 at 7:56 am, Mike Austin said:
Well Dan, if I followed your advice I would never venture anywhere in the wilds. I almost always backpack and bikepack alone, either stealth camping or staying in state parks. I just returned from a 550 mile solo bikepacking journey through Oklahoma and Kansas. Always my .40 was at my side. I have been doing this for 37 years.
If as you say that “sleeping in tents is a major risk” then suppose you give me the following statistics:
1. The number of persons who camp in tents in bear country every year; and
2. The number of persons killed in their tents by bears every year.
On July 22, 2022 at 5:29 am, Dan said:
Sleeping in tents IS a major risk. The number of incidents doesn’t alter that reality. Bear attacks on humans have always been a small number compared to the number of people who visit the wilderness. But if you are the person attacked the statistics DON’T MATTER. The risk comes from your vulnerability. And as the amount of wildernesses diminishes from development, fire and other causes human bear interactions will increase as the bears become more accustomed to being around us while they become more hungry from loss of normal food sources. A recipe for more attacks. But go ahead and ignore the truth. Humans are extremely good at rationalizing what they want over what IS.
On July 22, 2022 at 7:20 am, Mike Austin said:
It seems logic and statistics are not your strong suits.
On July 23, 2022 at 7:28 am, Latigo Morgan said:
Taco Tuesday in bear country?
On July 23, 2022 at 1:48 pm, FeralFerret said:
Darwin Award winner.
Should have stayed in the hotel.
On July 23, 2022 at 10:27 pm, TheAlaskan said:
I just shake my head. Once a bear is spotted, or sensed, you either leave the area or kill the bear.
That’s how we roll up here. My bear spray sprays lead.