Park rangers and wildlife biologists have been monitoring the area with traps and cameras ever since the June 6 attack, hoping to capture the bear that was responsible.

One bear was euthanized, but a DNA match later determined it wasn’t the same bear. DNA was compared to bear hairs collected from the scene of the attack.

It’s possible the bear involved in the attack was shot and fatally wounded by rangers, however. The night immediately following the attack, a bear wandered back into the same campsite. Rangers staked out in the area fired and hit it, but it got away. DNA was recovered from a bullet that went through the bear revealed a likely match, but the finding was only 65 percent conclusive due to limited DNA on the bullet.

Since then, traps set up in the area have snagged hair samples from two more bears, but neither were a DNA match.

“Based on this information, I feel it is reasonably safe to end the closure at this time,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “Our staff has demonstrated extraordinary dedication and determination over the last several weeks to help ensure hiker safety in the Hazel Creek backcountry.”

The turnaround time for DNA tests is now much quicker than it used to be, leading to a high probability that the park will develop new protocols to hold suspected problem bears in captivity until test results can come back, rather than euthanizing them on the spot. 

Unprovoked bear attacks are extremely rare.