Maulingvictim recovering

A 23-year-old man who was mauled by a grizzly bear Friday at the Great Bear Adventure Park near Coram is recovering, and the park is in compliance with its license and state regulations, a state official said Monday.

Details of what happened Friday afternoon are still unclear, said Tim Feldner, manager of commercial wildlife permitting for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

While the drive-through park has been closed to the public since early September, maintenance work has been under way behind the surrounding fence since then, Feldner said.

Feldner said a 23-year-old employee went to an area where two grizzly bears are kept at the park to check their feed and water when one of the bears attacked the man, who has yet to be identified.

Feldner said he has spoken several times with Russ Kilpatrick, the park's owner, since the incident happened. The Inter Lake has not been able to reach Kilpatrick for comment.

"He was at the park, but he wasn't on the spot when it happened, so he did not witness it," Feldner said of Kilpatrick. "He helped get the fellow back up to the house and they got him to the hospital."

The man was flown to Kalispell Regional Medical Center aboard the ALERT helicopter.

Since then, he has had at least two surgeries for leg wounds that included a detached kneecap, Feldner said.

Great Bear Adventure Park has a state menagerie license with terms and conditions that were stipulated under the supervision of District Judge Stewart Stadler in 2004. Those conditions applied to public safety, particularly for the grizzly bears that are kept at the park.

"We've made assurances that the public is safe," Feldner said.

"When it comes to matters of people who work there, certainly we are concerned and we are taking a look at the situation, but it is not in violation of the particular stipulations for that location" or standard menagerie requirements, Feldner added.

"The court matters dealt with the brown bears. Since that time, Russ has done some good things there in terms of safety for the public, with some things he's done himself and some things that were required by the court. He has been cooperative."

Feldner said working at a park like Great Bear has inherent dangers.

"This has happened, not just at Mr. Kilpatrick's, but at other facilities as well," he said.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com