Park Officials Under Fire After Bear Kills Boy at Campsite

Samuel Ives, 11, died after a black bear dragged him from his tent at the Timpooneke Campground in American Fork Canyon, Utah Sunday night. According to a report in The Salt Lake Tribune (SLT), Samuel and his family had no idea that earlier in the day, the same bear had harassed other campers in the area. There has never been a fatal bear attack in Utah's recorded history, but Samuel's family say the campground should have been closed down and there should have been stronger warnings to campers about the aggressive bear.

The Ives are experienced campers and did not have food in the tent. Their food was locked away in their car. Their camp was set up in a primitive, wooded area about a mile outside the boundary of the campground. The tent was a Father's Day present and was being used by the family for the first time on Sunday. Family members first believed Samuel was being kidnapped as they heard him scream during the dark night hours. The stepfather ran for help and called park officials, who later discovered that Samuel had been dragged from the tent, in his sleeping bag, by a black bear.

Officials from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) shot and killed the male bear on Monday. Since the middle of May, humans have experienced at least six bear encounters in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Black bears typically do not attack people, but the dry conditions and the increase of human encroachment on bear country has led to the rise in bear encounters. Wildlife experts agree that more can be done to keep campgrounds safe, but the responsibility lies squarely with humans. People forget that when they are camping, they are among wild animals.