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Yellowstone National Park officials released more details today about a fatal grizzly bear attack that claimed the life of a California man.

Brian Matayoshi, 57, of Torrence, California was hiking with his wife, Marylyn, on the Wapiti Lake Trail, off the South Rim Drive and south of Canyon Village, at around 11 a.m. Wednesday when they saw a grizzly bear in the distance about 100 yards away. The couple began to back down the trail and when they turned to look at the bear, they saw it was in a full charge towards them, park officials said. Brian Matayoshi told his wife to run. As they were running, the bear chased them and overtook Brian. Marylyn Matayoshi went to side of trail near a fallen log or tree.

Officials believe the attack on Mr. Matayoshi lasted only a few seconds before the bear left him and went over to Mrs. Matayoshi. The bear lifted her off the ground and, when she was dropped to the ground, Mrs. Matayoshi played dead and the bear left. Mrs. Matayoshi was not physically injured.

Mrs. Matayoshi then went to her husband and tried to call 911. She then started to call out for help and got the attention of some hikers who were able to contact a ranger. The ranger confirmed that Mr. Matayoshi was dead and tried to assist Mrs. Matayoshi. The area was then secured and swept and the trails were closed. South Rim Drive Road was closed on Wednesday to check for bear activity then reopened on Thursday.

This was the couple's fourth trip to Yellowstone, and they had hiked the trails before and never encountered bears, park officials said.

The bear behavior was consistent a defensive posture, officials said. The bear is believed to have been with two cubs of the year.

Park officials say, in addition to calls of support they are receiving for the Matayoshis, they are also receiving calls out of concern for the bear. Officials say there are no plans to trap the bear since it was acting in a defensive, not predatory, manner. Officials did retrieve hair and scat from scene, so if there is another incident they can determine if it's the same bear. Typically there are about 14-15 female grizzlies that produce cubs in the park each year, but so far this year they have only documented three or four, officials said.

The couple did not have bear spray, but they did take the proper actions by retreating, officials said. Officials say if you are involved in a bear attack you should stand your ground and use bear spray on the animal. A lot of times bears will veer off to the side and a lot of times when you stand your ground a bear won't follow through, officials said. If it does not veer away, in the last second before a bear makes contact, you should fall to ground and play dead, officials said.

There is a 1 in 3 million chance that an attack like this could happen, officials said.

All trails south of South Rim Drive are closed until officials make a determination that they are safe to open. The primary closure area is about 10 miles by 10 miles. Officials are still trying to contact individuals that were in the area to finish their investigation.
The last fatal grizzly attack in the park happened 25 years ago.

According to park Superintendent Dan Wenk, park officials believe there are a total of 600+ grizzlies in the Yellowstone ecosystem. This spring, bears have been very visible to people traveling in park and they are not an infrequent site.

Officials say it is safe to visit Yellowstone and other national parks, but people need to be aware of their surroundings.

Victim of Yellowstone grizzly bear attack identified

The man who was killed by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday has been identified as Brian Matayoshi, 57, of Torrance, California.

Matayoshi and his wife Marylyn were hiking on the Wapiti Lake Trail, which is located off the South Rim Drive, south of Canyon Village and east of the park's Grand Loop Road.

The couple was hiking west back toward their vehicle. At approximately 11:00 a.m., at a point about a mile and a half from the trailhead, they walked out of a forested area into an open meadow.

It appears that the couple spotted a bear approximately 100 yards away and then began walking away from the bear. When they turned around to look, they reportedly saw the female grizzly running down the trail at them.

The couple began running, but the bear caught up with them, attacking Mr. Matayoshi. The bear then went over to Mrs. Matayoshi, who had fallen to the ground nearby. The bear bit her daypack, lifting her from the ground and then dropping her. She remained still and the bear left the area.

Mrs. Matayoshi then walked back toward the meadow and attempted, without success, to call 911 on her cell phone. She began to shout for help and was heard by a distant group of hikers who were able to contact 911 by cell phone. Two rangers already in the area on backcountry patrol were contacted by the park Communications Center by radio and responded to the scene of the incident.

Mr. Matayoshi received multiple bite and clawing injuries, and was dead when rangers arrived at the scene at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Rangers immediately closed the hiking trails in the area. A subsequent helicopter patrol of the area failed to turn up any other hikers or backpackers. This small section of the park's backcountry is expected to remain closed for several days.

The initial investigation suggests the sow grizzly acted in a purely defensive nature to protect her cubs. This female bear is not tagged or collared, and does not apparently have a history of aggression or human interaction.

Typically, the National Park Service does not trap, relocate, or kill a bear under those circumstances. A Board of Review which will include interagency experts will be convened to review the incident.

Park officials note that bear attacks are extremely rare, and that this is the first time a human has been killed by a bear in the park since 1986.

During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, park officials said that the odds of this happening were 1 in 3 million.

Park officials encourage visitor to stay on designated trails, hike in groups of three or more people, and be alert for bears and make noise in blind spots.

Visitors are also encouraged to consider carrying bear pepper spray, which has been shown to be highly successful in stopping aggressive behavior in bears.

The Matayoshis were not carrying pepper spray.