Shayne Burke, 36, survived a brutal grizzly bear attack while on his honeymoon in Wyoming. He accidentally stumbled upon a cub while hiking alone in Grand Teton National Park, prompting the mother bear to charge. “She tackled me, biting my shoulder, breaking it. Then she started ravaging my legs,” Burke recalled.
Despite severe injuries, Burke escaped after the bear bit his bear spray can, causing it to explode in her mouth. He crawled through fallen trees and ran uphill to safety. Remarkably, he spent just one day in the hospital before being discharged. “I was super, super fortunate,” he said.
Burke, an Army reservist, credits his survival to following National Park Service advice: “Cover your head and neck, stay still, and make the bear believe you’re not a threat.” He also stressed the importance of carrying bear spray and knowing basic first aid.
Authorities confirmed the bear will not be hunted, as it was defending its cub. Burke says he was simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time” but is grateful to be alive.
