A man in search of shed antlers near Cody in northwestern Wyoming ended up in the hospital after a grizzly bear attacked him. Authorities say the man just picked up a shed antler when the bear knocked him down. After receiving bites to his arms and legs, the bear left and the man drove himself to a hospital.

“Most bears are surprisingly wary of people. I think it’s those times that they’re startled at really close range, it’s their natural instinct to defend themselves,” Luke Ellsbury, Wyoming Game and Fish large carnivore biologist, told K2 Radio. “He did that and moved on. It leads us to believe that it’s not anything to worry about right now,”

Bears attack to defend their food, cubs, territory or if they feel threatened in any other way.

(Photo source: NPS)