Photo by Doug Murray

If the photo of the mama grizzly and two cubs above seems unremarkable, well, it is.  We were several hundreds of yards from this marvelous wild animal, whom we managed to see numerous times over the weekend at Grand Teton National Park.  Keeping a safe distance is the way to make sure you live to tell the tale.

News of a 57-year-old Yellowstone National Park visitor getting mauled to death by a mama grizzly protecting her cubs during the same weekend we were bear-watching in the national park just south of Yellowstone is all over the Web, right now.  The California man was hiking along a backcountry meadow trail with his wife when they surprised the mama and cubs about 1.5 miles into their hike. The female bear attacked as they tried to leave.

National Park Service officials have, thankfully, decided not to kill the bear after determining that she was merely protecting her young, as all animals -- wild and domestic -- do.

It is a horrific tale and so sad for the couple who were trying to enjoy one of our country's jewels.  Reader commentary on news accounts of the attack has run the gamut, from people applauding the Park Service's decision to those who said they would hike with a gun so they could kill any animal that they felt threatened by, to those who say that a human's life is more valuable than that of a mother bear or her cubs.  Arrogance abounds in these situations.

The presence of bears - both black and grizzly -- and information that they can be aggressive when protecting young this time of year is posted prominently in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks right now.  You can't go anywhere -- not even the bathroom -- without seeing the warnings. All hiking trails are posted as well.

Cubs are born in the den around February, so mother bears have been nursing them in hibernation since that time. All of them emerge from the dens as hungry as ... well ... you know. Bears seeking to sate their appetites after a long winter will spend a lot of time in meadows looking for berries, small animals and grubs. It is best to stay out of the large open areas and those that are posted as having bear activity. Certainly, such attacks are rare, but that's not much consolation to the woman who is now a widow.

Our big western parks ain't Disney.  The animals are real, wild and apt to protect what's theirs. Rangers aren't being overly cautious when they say to be aware. Please get out and enjoy our national parks. Just  remember to pack some good binoculars and common sense.