Food was improperly stored in trees.
Sequoia
National Park (AP) -- Aug. 18, 2001
Two backpackers
trying to protect their food were clawed by black bears at national
parks, one a t Sequoia and the other at Kings Canyon, authorities said
Friday.
The hikers were not seriously hurt in the
incidents last week at remote backcountry lakes in the high Sierra.
In
both instances, the men had improperly stored food in trees and then
tried to scare the bears away once they had reached the food, park
spokeswoman Kris Fister said Friday. "If you're in a
situation when they've already got your food, it will be very difficult
to get the bears away from it," Fister said.
One
backpacker was injured Aug. 9 at Soldier Lakes in Sequoia National
Park when the startled bear bolted from the tree and ran over him.
The
second incident happened Aug. 10 at Kearsarge Lakes in adjacent Kings
Canyon National Park when two backpackers tried to roust a bear by
yelling and throwing rocks.
One man was clawed as the
bear ran away.
"The kicker is they thought the bear
was gone, so they went back to sleep," Fister said, "and it
came back."
The same man was clawed again while
trying to frighten the animal. He was treated at a hospital and
released.
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