Brown Bear Attacks 1 Hiker Near Anchorage, Prompting Drone-Assisted Rescue
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 21
Brown Bear Attacks 1 Hiker Near Anchorage, Prompting Drone-Assisted Rescue
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 21
Summary
A woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a brown bear attacked her Saturday on a steep, unofficial trail near Bear Valley beside Chugach State Park in south Anchorage.
Anchorage police deployed a drone during the evacuation and tracked a nearby bear while firefighters carried the injured hiker down the hillside and took her to a local hospital.
Alaska wildlife officials said dense overgrowth, poor visibility, high winds and bad weather likely contributed to a surprise encounter; the bear may also have been defending a food cache after reports of a recently killed moose nearby.
Three dogs were with the hikers, including one that was off leash and became separated before another hiking group found it uninjured and returned it home.
Officials warned that many Anchorage-area trails are heavily overgrown this time of year, raising the risk of sudden wildlife encounters.