Still no ID of bear that attacked woman

The investigation into a bear attack that occurred May 17 in the Cabinet Mountains continues, with no word yet on the type of bear involved.

“(We’re) still waiting on the investigation to wrap up,” Dillon Tabish, spokesperson for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 1, said Wednesday via email. “It can take some time for the lab in Canada to review the DNA and get us results that confirm the type of bear.”

The lab was sent what the agency has described as “trace evidence collected at the scene.”

The attack occurred in the Poorman Creek area. The victim was Amber Kornak, 28, a field assistant with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who was working at the time of the attack on a genetic study that requires collecting grizzly hair samples.

She “sustained serious injuries in a surprise defensive encounter involving a bear,” states a May 18 Fish, Wildlife and Parks news release.

According to Jenna Hemer, a friend of Kornak who started an online fundraising campaign on Kornak’s behalf and who spoke with the Associated Press, Kornak “was mauled by a bear, suffering two skull fractures as well as severe lacerations to her head, neck and back.”

“As the bear attacked her from behind she was able to reach her bear spray and spray the deterrent to ward off the bear,” Hemer’s fundraising post continues. “Amber’s wildlife training skills kicked in, and she somehow managed to stay calm and hike two miles from the site of the attack to her work vehicle where she then drove to find help.”

Kornak has not responded to interview requests.

When told Wednesday of Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Peck’s complaint that too little information about the attack had been released — Peck had expressed a concern for public safety during a meeting of the commission Wednesday morning — Tabish pointed to his agency’s previous two news releases, suggesting no cause for concern beyond what authorities typically recommend for those traveling in bear country.

“The second press release explained that the evidence suggested this was a ‘surprise defensive encounter,’ not a predatory attack,” Tabish wrote. “The location of the incident was identified but we did not implement a trail closure, which would have to come from the Forest Service anyhow.”

Tabish also noted the agency’s previous warning that “Northwest Montana is bear country with abundant populations of grizzlies and black bears” and for people to “be ‘Bear Aware’ and follow precautionary steps and tips to prevent conflicts.”

Those tips include to carry and know how to use bear pepper spray; to talk, sing, carry a bell or use another means to warn bears of human presence; and to travel in groups of three or more people whenever possible and plan to be out in the daylight hours.

“People should always be aware that conflicts with wildlife — bears, mountain lions, elk, etc. — can occur in the wild.” Tabish wrote. “Precautionary steps, such as those listed above, should be followed year-round anytime you are in the wild.”

Tabish said his office’s Wildlife Human Attack Response Team is investigating the attack.

“The investigation includes interviewing the individuals involved in the incident, reviewing the scene of the incident, reviewing materials found at the scene and on the individual, etc.,” he wrote.

“Our investigative procedure, and the timetable for releasing information, remains consistent with previous wildlife conflicts going back several years.”