Illinois Woman Faces Federal Charges For Approaching Grizzly Bear

CAROL STREAM, IL — An Illinois woman has been accused of getting too close to a grizzly bear after Yellowstone National Park authorities said she was caught on video approaching a mother bear and its two cubs.

Carol Stream resident Samantha Dehring, 25, has been charged in U.S. District Court with breaking federal laws that prohibit "violating closures and use limits" and "feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentionally disturbing wildlife," according to court records. Dehring is set to appear in court in Mammoth Hot Springs on Aug. 26.

Authorities began looking for the woman after she was captured on video May 10 near the north end of the Roaring Mountain parking lot. The video shows Dehring approach a mother grizzly and two cubs, causing the bear to charge at the woman. She then walked away from the bear.

Officials said Dehring was only 15 feet away from the bear.

Park regulations require visitors to stay at least 300 feet away from bears and wolves.

Park rangers asked for the public's help identifying the woman by sharing the video to Yellowstone social media channels. Investigators said an anonymous tip led them to Dehring.

The Billings Gazette reported that investigators were able to track Dehring down through social media, where she had posted pictures of the bears on Facebook, captioning the picture, "absolutely floored by the beauty of this place."