UPDATE
San Francisco Chronicle 7.9.2021
The grizzly bear suspected of killing a Chico woman camping in Montana was shot dead by wildlife officials.
Montana wildlife officials believed the bear was the same animal that dragged 65-year-old Leah Lokan from her tent and killed her early Tuesday morning as she camped near the small town of Ovando.
Officials located the grizzly at chicken coop not farm from the woman’s campsite and set up a trap.
Lee Heidhues 7.8.2021
It’s a tragedy that the 65 year old cyclist died at the paws of a grizzly bear in Montana.
The grizzly bear has been an inhabitant of Montana since long before humans invaded their territory. First, it was the Native Americans who were decimated by the encroaching white settlers along with the decimation of buffalo and other species.
This tragedy is another manifestation of what is happening as humans continue their encroachment into native habitat.
Excerpted from San Francisco Chronicle 7.8.2021
A Chico woman was killed by a grizzly bear early Tuesday morning while on a bicycle camping trip in Montana.
Montana wildlife officials said they were investigating the incident and searching for the bear responsible for the deadly attack.
The local coroner identified the woman as Leah Lokan, 65.
“She was sleeping alone in the tent and the bear just came and dragged her out,” Powell County Coroner Heather Gregory said.
Wildlife officials said grizzly bears are common in Ovando, the small Montana town where Lokan was camping.
“Traps have been set in the area and searching will continue by ground and in the air with the priority of keeping the public safe from another encounter,” the Powell County Sheriff’s Office wrote Wednesday on Facebook.
Officials said a nearby business’ security camera captured footage of a grizzly bear on Monday night, the evening before the deadly attack, and a bear was also reported to have entered a chicken coop in the small town.
In Chico, fellow cyclists and members of Lokan’s bicycle racing team were stunned to hear of their friend’s death.
Lee's Perspective 