POLSON – A college student in Pablo suffered injuries to his head and arms Friday after a bear attacked him, officials said.
The man, a student at Salish Kootenai College, got between the sow and her two cubs Friday morning, Undersheriff Dan Yonkin said.
Yonkin said the man was in his yard, while officials from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes said the student was hiking alone in a brushy area east of the college.
The bear charged, attacked the student and left the area, tribal officials said.
Authorities haven’t confirmed what kind of bear it was, but the man believed it was a grizzly. The Flathead Indian reservation is home to both black and grizzly bears.
Sheriff’s department spokeswoman Karen Sargeant said the man was hospitalized in Kalispell. His name was not released.
Nearby, Salish Kootenai College cancelled classes Friday afternoon while Pablo Elementary School Principal Fran Ciez said students were kept inside during recess as a precaution.
Officers went door-to-door in the area near the attack to warn residents of the potential danger, Yonkin said.
Biologists and conservation officers with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks responded to the call along with Lake County officers.