A bear charged and injured a 10-year-old boy in Yellowstone National Park on Thursday, before his parents were able to get a hold of their bear spray, park officials said. 
 
 The unidentified boy was transferred to a Montana hospital after suffering puncture wounds to his back, wounds around his buttocks and an injured wrist, the National Park Service said in a statement. 
 
 The Washington state family was hiking up the Divide Trail, southeast of Old Faithful, when a bear appeared from the brush and charged the family, park officials said. The bear chased the boy, who had run from the approaching animal, and knocked him to the ground. 
 
 The boy’s parents used bear spray about five feet from the animal’s face, driving it off. The family walked back to the trailhead and drove to the Old Faithful Ranger Station. Rangers sent them to a nearby clinic before the boy was transferred to Big Sky Medical Center. 
 
 It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the bear to charge or what species it was. Both grizzly and black bears call Yellowstone home. 
 
 Park officials said that visitors should not run if they encounter a bear and should stand their ground if the animal charges. 
 
 The last reported bear attack in Yellowstone was in 2015, according to the National Park Service. The park averages one bear attack per year. 
 
 Several park visitors had been injured in animal encounters earlier this year. 
 
 A bison gored a woman in June following two separate elk attacks that injured two women. In May, another woman was rammed and injured by a bison. 
 
 The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| (CNN) Yellowstone grizzly bears are emerging from their winter hibernation to news that wildlife officials no longer consider them threatened. 
 
 "Stable population numbers for grizzlies for more than a decade also indicate that the Yellowstone ecosystem is at or near its carrying capacity for the bears," it said. 
 
 Hottle also loves visiting Glacier National Park in Montana, a nine-hour drive by car. "There's a wildness about Glacier that makes it even more dangerous and adventurous than Yellowstone," he said. Glacier's Wild Goose Island is shown here. 
 
 Glacier National Park – Hottle also loves visiting Glacier National Park in Montana, a nine-hour drive by car. "There's a wildness about Glacier that makes it even more dangerous and adventurous than Yellowstone," he said. Glacier's Wild Goose Island is shown here. 
 
 Hottle recommends that hikers travel in groups of at least three, stay on designated trails, carry bear pepper spray and make noise as they hike to avoid surprising bears (mother bears can attack when surprised). He and his family have hiked "every inch" of Electric Peak, a nearly 11,000-foot mountain. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Hottle recommends that hikers travel in groups of at least three, stay on designated trails, carry bear pepper spray and make noise as they hike to avoid surprising bears (mother bears can attack when surprised). He and his family have hiked "every inch" of Electric Peak, a nearly 11,000-foot mountain. 
 
 In elk mating season, which starts around September, the bulls come down from the mountains and gather up as many cows (female elk) as they can into harems. Shown here is a harem of 27 cows resting in Mammoth Hot Springs near the town post office. Visitors are cautioned to stay at least 25 yards away from the elk, which have been known to ram cars and trap people. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – In elk mating season, which starts around September, the bulls come down from the mountains and gather up as many cows (female elk) as they can into harems. Shown here is a harem of 27 cows resting in Mammoth Hot Springs near the town post office. Visitors are cautioned to stay at least 25 yards away from the elk, which have been known to ram cars and trap people. 
 
 Rangers plead with with visitors to pull off the road to shoot pictures of bison (shown here in the Lamar Valley) or other wildlife that call Yellowstone home. Travelers have been known to stop their cars in the middle of the road to look at the view, or worse: look sideways to admire the nature while driving. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Rangers plead with with visitors to pull off the road to shoot pictures of bison (shown here in the Lamar Valley) or other wildlife that call Yellowstone home. Travelers have been known to stop their cars in the middle of the road to look at the view, or worse: look sideways to admire the nature while driving. 
 
 There's a good chance of spotting wolves on the drive to the Lamar Valley, Hottle says. He likes to stop at a pullout about halfway to the valley and hike into the woods, where he can sometimes see a wolf or its pack. (Hottle found this wolf in his backyard.) 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – There's a good chance of spotting wolves on the drive to the Lamar Valley, Hottle says. He likes to stop at a pullout about halfway to the valley and hike into the woods, where he can sometimes see a wolf or its pack. (Hottle found this wolf in his backyard.) 
 
 Grand Prismatic Spring is Hottle's favorite spring in the park, and it's in Midway Geyser Basin about five miles from Old Faithful. When the light is right, hike up one of the mountains surrounding the spring and you'll see the steam change colors because of the spring's bacteria. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Grand Prismatic Spring is Hottle's favorite spring in the park, and it's in Midway Geyser Basin about five miles from Old Faithful. When the light is right, hike up one of the mountains surrounding the spring and you'll see the steam change colors because of the spring's bacteria. 
 
 Castle Geyster just in the same basin as Old Faithful. 
 
 Castle Geyser – Castle Geyster just in the same basin as Old Faithful. 
 
 Old Faithful Geyser may be the most-famous "resident" of Yellowstone National Park, but park ranger Dan Hottle says there is much more to see at the 2.2 million-acre park. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Old Faithful Geyser may be the most-famous "resident" of Yellowstone National Park, but park ranger Dan Hottle says there is much more to see at the 2.2 million-acre park. 
 
 "In response to the successful recovery of one of the nation's most iconic animals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to remove the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife ," it said. 
 
 Delisting means the bears are no longer threatened, and would not be protected by the Endangered Species Act. They could be hunted within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which lies in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana , though not the Yellowstone National Park itself. 
 
 Conservation plans 
 
 The wildlife service said the restoration of bear populations in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho "stands as one of America's great conservation successes." 
 
 "Our proposal today underscores and celebrates more than 30 years of collaboration with our trusted federal, state and tribal partners to address the unique habitat challenges of grizzlies," director Dan Ashe said. 
 
 "The final post-delisting management plans by these partners will ensure healthy grizzly populations persist across the Yellowstone ecosystem long into the future." 
 
 Public chance to comment 
 
 The wildlife service is seeking comment from the public, agencies and scientists after publication in the Federal Register, expected in the next few days. 
 
 "Even with this proposed delisting, the service remains committed to the conservation of the Yellowstone grizzly bear, and will stay engaged to ensure that this incredible species remains recovered," Ashe said. 
 
 Still in need of protection? 
 
 "Yellowstone grizzly bears are an isolated population that is experiencing high levels of conflicts with people and is likely declining in the wake of the loss of whitebark pine, a critically important food source," said Sylvia Fallon , a senior scientist at NRDC. 
 
 Fallon questioned the accuracy of the population estimates, saying the bears were on the decline. 
 
 She added they would likely also need to be connected to bears outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to avoid genetic problems. 
 
 "The Endangered Species Act has been tremendously successful at saving this population and preventing its demise," she said. 
 
 " And retaining those valuable protections until the Yellowstone grizzly population is more robust and its future more certain is the best way to turn that past success into true recovery." 
 
 The Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Yellowstone grizzly bear population from the threatened species list in 2007, but the decision was challenged and later overturned by a federal district judge. A later appeal by the service failed. 
 
 The wildlife service describes endangered species a s those at the brink of extinction now while a threatened species "are likely to be at the brink in the near future." 
 
 Awake and hungry 
 
 Meanwhile, Yellowstone National Park has warned that its grizzlies are awake, hungry and looking for food. 
 
 The National Parks Service said the first confirmed report of grizzly bear activity after the winter hibernation came nearly two weeks ago. 
 
 1st grizzly sighting of the spring today over Nez Perce Crk. Get a bear safety refresher at https://t.co/PsyfFoKaT9. pic.twitter.com/JhkflMRwOY — YellowstoneNPS (@YellowstoneNPS) 24 February 2016 
 
 "Bears begin looking for food soon after they emerge from their dens," the parks service said in a statement. 
 
 It recommended that park visitors stay in groups of at least three, make noise on the trail and carry bear spray. 
 
 "Yellowstone regulations require visitors to stay 100 yards from black and grizzly bears at all times. 
 
 The best defense is to stay a safe distance from bears and use binoculars, a telescope or telephoto lens to get a closer look," the parks service said. 
 
 Yellowstone closes areas of the park where humans are more likely to encounter bears that could react aggressively while feeding on elk and bison carcasses. ||||| February 10, 2015 
 
 National Park Service 
 
 U.S. Department of the Interior 
 
 Yellowstone National Park 
 
 P.O. Box 168 
 
 Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 
 
 
 
 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
 February 10, 2015 15-008 
 
 Al Nash 
 
 (307) 344-2015 
 
 YELL_Public_Affairs@nps.gov 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
 Bears Starting To Emerge From Dens In Yellowstone 
 
 Blame the relatively mild winter weather for the early emergence of bears in the Greater Yellowstone area. 
 
 The first confirmed report of grizzly bear activity in Yellowstone occurred on February 9. A grizzly bear was observed late in the afternoon, scavenging on a bison carcass in the central portion of the park. 
 
 With bears emerging from hibernation hikers, skiers, and snowshoers are advised to stay in groups of three of more, make noise on the trail and carry bear spray. The same advice goes for those taking guided snowmobile trips in Yellowstone. 
 
 Bears begin looking for food soon after they emerge from their dens. They are attracted to elk and bison that have died during the winter. Carcasses are an important enough food source that bears will sometimes react aggressively when surprised while feeding on them. 
 
 Updated bear safety information is available on the Yellowstone bear safety Web page at http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/bearsafety.htm and in the park newspaper distributed at all park entrances. 
 
 Yellowstone also implements seasonal bear management areas closures to reduce encounters between bears and humans in areas where elk and bison carcasses are in high density. A listing of these closures can be found at http://www.nps.gov/yell/parkmgmt/bearclosures.htm. 
 
 Yellowstone regulations require visitors to stay 100 yards from black and grizzly bears at all times. The best defense is to stay a safe distance from bears and use binoculars, a spotting scope or telephoto lens to get a closer look. All visitors traveling in the park away from developed areas should stay in groups of three or more, make noise on the trail, keep an eye out for bears and carry bear spray. Bear spray has proven to be a good last line of defense, if kept handy and used according to directions when a bear is approaching within 30 to 60 feet. 
 
 While firearms are allowed in the park, the discharge of a firearm is a violation of park regulations. The park’s law enforcement rangers who carry firearms on duty rely on bear spray, rather than their weapons, as the most effective means to deal with a bear encounter. 
 
 Visitors are also reminded to keep food, garbage, barbecue grills and other attractants stored in hard-sided vehicles or bear-proof food storage boxes. This helps keep bears from becoming conditioned to human foods, and helps keep park visitors and their property safe. 
 
 Bear sightings should be reported to the nearest visitor center or ranger station as soon as possible. 
 
 - www.nps.gov/yell -
– Yellowstone National Park usually sees about one bear attack a year, though until this week there hadn't been one since 2015. That changed Thursday, after a 10-year-old was charged at by one, though thanks to his parents' quick thinking and a canister of bear spray, it appears he'll be OK. That's per a press release from the park, which details how a family of four was walking along a trail southeast of Old Faithful Thursday morning when a bear emerged from the vegetation and barreled after the boy as he started to run away. The bear caught up and knocked the boy down, at which point his parents "deployed bear spray about 5 feet from the bear's face." The bear then "shook its head" and retreated. The boy was taken to a local clinic, then to Montana's Big Sky Medical Center, where he was treated for wounds to his buttocks, a hurt wrist, and puncture wounds on his back. Park officials say they're trying to figure out what type of bear attacked him, with Fox News noting both black bears and grizzlies live in the park. The Casper Star-Tribune reports there have been a handful of other animal attacks at Yellowstone this year, including by bison and cow elk. (A man caught on video taunting a bison at Yellowstone just got jail time.)