Hiker Found Dead in Yellowstone National Park

I've worked in Yellostone, and have some comments.
1. Was the body found mutilated by a grizzly? My guess is no, unless cubs were involved.
2. This is one of two touristy hikes in the area, the other being Storm Point east of Fishing Bridge. The trail is only 1.5 miles long. It goes up a hill overlooking Lake Yellowstone, loops around, and comes back down.
3. The article says that he was reported missing by co-workers. That means he probably walked there from the Lake area. The trailhead for Elephant Back is walking distance from the dorms at Lake Hotel and Lake Lodge. And, since he was an employee, chances are he was fairly young, and heart attack was not the cause. I'd be interested to find out what time of day (or night) he went out. And, if alcohol was involved. The last summer I worked in Yellowstone, 2 employees died. Both as the result of alcohol. The last one was a jeep that went over the edge above Tower Falls, and landed in Tower Creek on its side less than 100 from the falls.

Edit: I looked back over things.  It said he was from Montana and was reported missing from work.  Yellowstone is close enough that he might not have been an employee, but someone with a couple of days off who headed south into the park.  Article was very brief with little to go on.  If this is the case, then heart attack becomes my primary suspect, or bear if the body was found partially mutilated.  This is a tourist hike, though.

Thanks for the link. I tried the first link, and got that same info also. This morning that first link didn't have all of the info, just a sentence or two. Don't know why it is different now. But, I guessed right that it was an employee. And, that bear cubs were involved. But, I didn't know of an off-trail area that hikers go to near Elephant Back. It was just the trail when I worked there. Kind of scares me, because I was solo both times that I hiked up there.

The victim was partially consumed and cached under forest litter like they'll do for food. They've trapped a likely suspect sow and are doing a DNA match. If it comes up a match they're euthanizing the sow and will try and capture and place the cub(s) with a zoo. If that fails they'll kill the cubs as well.

Per latest reports there's no evidence of bear spray being carried (no canister found).

A grizzly attack is always the Top Story

At the same time, a French couple died of heat stress at White Sands, and possibly saved their sons life by giving him most of their water.

Why isn't this "News" ?

Or all the rest? Well they're called "Charismatic Megafauna"" for a reason.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/08/12/forget-bears-heres-what-really-kills-people-at-national-parks/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_wonk

This reminds me of that movie "Grey," starring Liam Neeson. The movie portrays the battles against nature of plane-crash survivors in cold Alaska. In reality, wolves would pose an insignificant portion of the risk, but in the movie, they were practically everything.

Falls, broken legs, hypothermia, dehydration, and heat stroke are just not easy to personify. Either the media or the public want their villains in animal form. I guess dehydration and heat stroke just don't seem sinister enough to make a good spook story.

And animal caused deaths are at the very bottom of the list. I don't see the number of lightening caused deaths, either, which are probably towards the top of list. In any event, from your link, it looks like heat kills at least 25X more people than animals. Many people have have died from heat exposure, just to fill their limited use pass at "The Wave".

All stories like this do, is reinforce the "fringe elements " desire for an open carry/concealed weapon whenever they're outside of their homes.