A black bear crawled inside a tent and attacked a 3-year-old girl late Sunday at a private campground south of Red Lodge, Montana, near Yellowstone National Park.
According to her family, Madison Findley-Dickson was released from a Billings hospital Tuesday, but still faces a long recovery from her injuries. The family is from the Spokane, Washington, area and was staying at Perry’s RV Park and Campground.
Madison was asleep in a tent when the bear entered it and attacked her around 10 p.m., according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). The campground was evacuated after the attack.
Wildlife officials caught and killed the bear, a subadult female, the next day, according to FWP.
Wyoming Game and Fish personnel helped in a search for and capture of the bear, Dan Thompson, Game and Fish large carnivore specialist, told Cowboy State Daily.
The bear had no prior history of conflict with humans. It was likely drawn in because food, flavored drinks and other attractants were left unsecured around the campsite, FWP reports.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Madison and her family. As of Wednesday morning, it had raised nearly $3,500 of a $5,000 goal.
Similar Grizzly Attack Was Deadly
Sunday’s black bear attack was similar to a fatal Montana grizzly attack July 5, 2021.
California resident Leah Davis Lokan, 65, was dragged from her tent and killed by a grizzly bear near Ovando, Montana, which is roughly 50 miles from Missoula.
She and some friends were on a long-distance bicycle trip and had pitched their tents behind a museum in Ovando.
The bear first appeared at about 3 a.m. in the morning but was hazed away by the campers. It returned about an hour later and attacked and killed Lokan, according to news reports from the time.
That bear was probably drawn to the campsite by unsecured food, according to FWP.
FWP agents tracked the bear down and killed it several days later.
The bear, a large male, was thought to have previously attacked chicken coops in the area.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
