Bear mauling victim in stable condition

A Montana woman who was attacked by a bear last week in the wilderness south of Libby was in stable condition Tuesday recovering in Kalispell from her injuries.

The woman has been identified as Amber Kornak, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service field assistant.

Kornak’s friend Jenna Hemer set up a Go Fund Me page to help pay Kornak’s monthly bills while she is not working. The GoFundMe page indicates Kornak suffered two skull fractures as well as severe lacerations to her head, neck and back.

“Anyone who knows Amber knows that she is fierce, and will fight like hell to recover as quickly as possible,” Hemer wrote on the GoFundMe page. “However, this has created quite an obstacle for her. Her family and friends are reaching out in order to help her with her monthly bills while she is out of work indefinitely.”

Hemer said it was Kornak’s “dream to work with grizzly bears.”

According to previous reports, Kornak was attacked during a surprise encounter the morning of May 17 while working on a grizzly bear research project alone in a remote section of the Cabinet Mountains.

Kornak apparently was able to reach her bear spray and discharge it as the bear attacked her from behind.

“Amber’s wildlife training skills kicked in, and she somehow managed to stay calm,” Hemer wrote.

She managed to hike 2 miles from the attack site to her work vehicle where she then drove to find help. She was eventually transported by the ALERT air ambulance to Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

Hemer said Kornak underwent four hours of surgery and remained in the ICU at Kalispell Regional as of Tuesday.

Kornak was working at the time of the attack on a genetic study that requires collecting grizzly hair samples. The hairs can be found on trees or other objects that grizzlies rub against, and are used to analyze the animals’ DNA.

Officials speculated that noise from nearby Poorman Creek may have allowed the animal to close in on Kornak without her noticing.

She was apparently following the right protocols for working in grizzly bear country, including carrying bear spray and a satellite communication device that she used to call 911 just after the mauling, Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Jennifer Strickland told the Associated Press.

There is no formal rule about government workers travelling alone in bear country, Strickland said. But experts say traveling in groups of three or more dramatically decreases the chance of an attack.

The Cabinet Mountains are home to an estimated 50 grizzlies, protected across the region as a threatened species under federal law. The range also has black bears, typically a less aggressive species.

The type of bear involved in the conflict remains unknown. Trace evidence collected at the scene was being submitted for analysis.

The FWP Region 1 Wildlife Human Attack Response Team was dispatched to the area and the investigation continues.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.