YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. () A portion of Yellowstone National Park remained closed Wednesday after a bear attack on a hiker left him with serious injuries.

The 29-year-old man suffered injuries to his chest and arm in Tuesday’s attack on the Turbid Lake Trail northeast of Yellowstone Lake. They have been described as not life-threatening.

The man encountered the bear 2 1/2 miles into the backcountry and sprayed bear repellent as it began to attack, park officials said in a statement.

National Park Service medics walked out with the hiker. He was then taken to a park clinic and flown to a nearby hospital.

Park officials said Wednesday they had no more information, including the man’s name, where he was from or his updated condition.

Park officials said the bear will not be harmed.

“The Turbid Lake Trail is closed until further notice,” officials said. “Because this incident was a defensive reaction by the bear during a surprise encounter, the park will not be taking any management action against the bear.”

It was the park’s first bear attack since a grizzly injured a hiker in the Mammoth Hot Springs area in 2021. That hiker was able to hike out on his own.

DNA analysis could determine the species. The man believed it was a black bear, but its location, size and behavior suggested it was a grizzly, according to the statement.

Grizzlies and black bears can be difficult to tell apart at times. But grizzlies grow much larger as much as twice as big and black bears usually have darker coloring.

Grizzlies are federally protected as a threatened species in the lower 48 U.S. states, where their numbers have rebounded from about 700 in the 1970s to around 2,000 today.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.