Bears Bite and Run says Idaho Official

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Fish and Game officials say it's common for surprised bears to bite the person that surprised them and then run away, as happened recently to a researcher in Island Park. Brett Panting with the Wildlife Conservation Society was working in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest Monday morning when he surprised a grizzly bear. The animal bit him — causing a wound that required minor surgery — and then fled, allowing Panting to walk for help. Gregg Losinski told the Post Register that biting and running is a common reaction for grizzly bears, and that they don't typically sit around and chomp on interlopers. Losinski says that's more the stuff of movies than of reality. Losinski says Panting had bear spray but didn't have time to use it.