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Authorities are searching today in Eagle River for the brown bear that killed one hiker and mauled a member of search party looking for him.
It’s believed the bear killed the 44-year-old man and was protecting his kill when searchers got too close. The mauling victim reportedly stepped between the bear and a woman searcher, protecting her and suffering severe lege injuries. He’s expected to live.
The Anchorage Daily News provided this detailed account of the attack:
It’s the second fatal bear attached in Anchorage in a year, in addition to a third last summer in Interior Alaska. Those other attacks involved black bears.
Troopers are urging the public to stay away from the forested area at the end of Hiland Road in Eagle River. They also admit finding the killer bear will a difficult task, and anyone traveling in bear country should be armed with bear spray, firearms or both.
Original Story:
A man searching for a missing hiker near the end of Hiland Road in Eagle River has been mauled by a brown bear this morning.
The man was part of a group searching for Michael Soltis, who has been missing since presumed leaving on a hike in the area yesterday.
The mauling victim has been transported to a local hospital with severe but not fatal leg injuries. The bear has not been located and authorities are urging the public to avoid the area.
This is the most recent of several bear-human encounters. Two garbage-diving brown bears were shot in Eagle River early this week.
This is the time of year when people are more active and brown bears are aggressively hunting for newborn moose calves, so conflicts are more common.
