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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 25 July 2023

Authorities search for grizzly bear that killed woman near

Yellowstone National Park

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mon- As time goes by, he add-
tana (AP) — Authorities ed, trapping becomes less
searched Monday for a effective as chances in-
grizzly bear that attacked crease of catching a bear
and killed a woman on a that wasn't involved in the
trail west of Yellowstone attack.
National Park near the Grizzly bear populations
Montana-Idaho border. in the northern U.S. Rocky
The victim's body was Mountains grew significant-
found Saturday morning a ly over the past several and
few hundred yards (meters) the animals in recent years
from a trailhead and pri- have been showing up in
vate campground. There places they hadn't been
was no sign that the bear, seen for generations. Since
which was traveling with at 2010, grizzlies in and around
least one cub, tried to eat Yellowstone have killed at
the victim, who appears to least nine people. Attacks
have been jogging when remain relatively rare in the
she was fatally mauled, region, which draws sever-
said Morgan Jacobsen al million tourists each sum-
with Montana Fish, Wildlife mer.
and Parks. A backcountry guide was
Authorities said the wom- A bear trap set by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seen on July 7, 2021, in Ovando, Mont. killed near West Yellow-
an's injuries were "consis- Associated Press stone two years ago when
tent with a bear attack." he was mauled by a large
But they could not say for trail and that's when this Yellowstone National Park. "And the big thing is, don't grizzly bear that wildlife of-
certain whether she was happened," said Jacob- Local resident Bill Young- go alone." ficials said was probably
preyed upon or whether it sen. wirth said people in the A trail camera captured an defending a nearby moose
was a chance encounter Tracks of a grizzly bear area were aware of the image of a grizzly bear with carcass. And a hiker was
as she traveled alone in a and at least one cub were mauling and the forest two cubs in the area on killed north of Yellowstone
wooded area frequented found at the scene of the closure, but weren't pan- Saturday night. There have park last year in a suspect-
by grizzly and black bears. attack, which occurred icked over the attack due been no sightings since, ed grizzly encounter in a re-
A hiker found her body near the Buttermilk Trail- to speculation that it was Jacobsen said. Traps set mote area of the Absaroka
along the trail at around 8 head 8 miles (13 kilometers) a mother bear striking out for the bears on Saturday Mountains south of Livings-
a.m. Saturday, authorities west of West Yellowstone, defensively after being and Sunday nights came ton, Montana.
said. The victim's name has a busy summer tourist town surprised when the victim up empty, and attempts to Encounters with humans
not been released. She was and gateway to the na- came around a corner. locate the bears from an can prove deadly for
wearing running shoes and tional park. The attack happened aircraft were unsuccessful. bears, too: A five-year-old
did not have bear spray, a The hiking trail also is used about a mile (1.6 kilome- Authorities had not decid- female grizzly in Glacier Na-
deterrent that wildlife ex- by people ATVs and other ters) from several vacation ed if they would set traps tional Park was euthanized
perts recommend people off-road vehicles. homes that Youngwirth again Monday night or de- last week after officials said
carry in areas frequented Rangers issued an emer- rents adjacent to the forest. cided whether they would it got used to eating food
by bears, Jacobsen said. gency closure for areas of "I tell everybody, 'Better kill or relocate the adult from campgrounds and
"This person was likely out the Custer Gallatin Nation- take bear spray and know bear if it is captured, Ja- was becoming increasingly
for a morning jog along the al Forest. It did not include how to use it,'" he said. cobsen said. aggressive.q

IRS is ending unannounced visits to

taxpayers to protect worker safety and

combat scammers

By FATIMA HUSSEIN ers' homes and businesses ficers whose duties include
Associated Press "except in a few unique visiting homes and firms to
WASHINGTON (AP) — The circumstances," the Trea- resolve taxpayers' liabilities
Internal Revenue Service sury Department said in a by collecting unpaid taxes
said Monday it is ending statement. The agency will and unfiled tax returns.
its decades-old policy of instead mail letters to peo- The agency in recent
making unannounced ple to schedule meetings. years has experienced A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building in
home and business visits, "Today's announcement is more threats, in part tied Washington, on May 4, 2021.
in an effort to help keep the right thing to do, at the to conspiracy theories that Associated Press
its workers safe and to right time," new IRS Com- agents were going to tar-
combat scammers who missioner Daniel Werfel told get middle-income tax- to step up tax collections. in May, the agency said it
pose as IRS agents. Effec- reporters on a call Monday. payers more aggressively In response, the agency would begin limiting work-
tive immediately, revenue The change ends "an era at after the passage of a cli- last August announced a ers' personal identifying in-
agents will no longer make the IRS," he said, reversing mate, health care and tax comprehensive review of formation on communica-
unplanned visits to taxpay- a practice by revenue of- bill that provided $80 billion safety at its facilities. And tions with taxpayers. q