A hiker was hospitalized after a Brown bear mauling on a South Anchorage trail above Bear Valley on Saturday, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The injured woman was found about a half-mile up a trail from Kenai Terrace Road and Brewsters Drive, and firefighters took her to the hospital after helping her off the trail.
Cyndi Wardlow on the encounter
Cyndi Wardlow, the Southcentral regional supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife Conservation, said Monday, "This was likely a surprise encounter at close range, especially with the high winds and low visibility from the trail in this area." The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the hiker was with another person and three dogs, and all three dogs were off leash at the time.
The bear emerged from a dense stand of alder trees on a narrow, switchback trail uphill from Bear Valley. It made brief contact with one of the hikers before moving on. High winds and inclement weather may have increased the chance that the bear was surprised by the hikers and their dogs.
Anchorage police response
Anchorage police, Anchorage fire departments and Alaska State Troopers responded at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Gina Romero, an Anchorage police spokesperson, said police found the woman about a half-mile up the trail and that her injuries were not life-threatening. Megan Peters, a fire department spokesperson, said firefighters rendered aid, helped the woman off the trail and took her to the hospital.
Police also used a drone that spotted a single brown bear on a nearby hillside, "to ensure that first responders and the injured hiker remained safe during the rescue."
Fish and Game trail warnings
The response now includes signs and trailhead flagging in the area warning people of recent bear activity. Fish and Game said it has received multiple reports of brown bears in the Hillside neighborhood areas this summer, but it has not received reports of interactions with aggressive animals or bears behaving unusually in the Bear Valley area this summer.
A moose kill was reported nearby, adding another sign of wildlife activity around the trail system. One of the hiker's dogs was later found unhurt by a different group of hikers and returned home, while the exact bear involved in the mauling remains unconfirmed.
