Woman filmed being accused by grizzly bear in Yellowstone faces criminal charges after officials used social media to identify her



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AP Photo / Jim Urquhart

  • A woman faces criminal charges related to an incident with a grizzly bear in Yellowstone in May.

  • She was filmed taking photos and being bluffed by a grizzly bear that was within 15 feet of her.

  • Investigators used social media to identify the woman.

  • Visit the Insider home page for more stories.

A woman has been charged in a videotaped incident that showed her taking photos within 15 feet of a grizzly bear and two cubs in Yellowstone National Park in May.

The video, which was shared online by a witness at the time, showed the bluff bear charging at the woman in the Roaring Mountain section of the park. Park officials shared a screenshot of the video on Facebook asking people for any information that could help identify the woman.

The woman, Samantha Dehring of Carol Stream, Ill., Has been charged with two counts, including feeding, touching, teasing, scaring or intentionally disturbing wildlife, as well as violating closures and limits on use, reported the Billings Gazette.

Read more: I moved to Barbados to work remotely but left after 4 months. I would not have gone there alone as a woman if I had known the reality.

Witnesses told investigators a small group of bear-watching tourists returned to their vehicles when the animals approached and told Dehring to do the same, but she did not.

Court records say Dehring no longer followed the Yellowstone Facebook page on the same day it was posted to ask for help identifying him. Investigators received information about her identity and obtained a warrant to search her Facebook page, where they discovered photos she had posted of the bears.

“Absolutely flabbergasted by the beauty of this place,” reads the caption, according to documents obtained by the Gazette.

Yellowstone requires all visitors to stay at least 300 feet from bears and never approach wildlife.

A Louisiana couple were recently charged in another wildlife incident. While on their honeymoon in Hawaii, the couple touched an endangered Hawaiian monk seal, in an incident also filmed, and were fined $ 50,000.

Do you have a tip? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

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