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A brown bear in Alaska recently injured a woman while on a hike, local authorities say.
On Saturday, July 18, the Anchorage Police Department, Anchorage Fire Department, Alaska State Troopers and Alaska Department of Fish and Game responded to a bear incident on a trail in Anchorage's Bear Valley. A woman was transported to a local hospital after sustaining non-life-threatening injuries during the encounter, according to an Anchorage Police Department news release.
The woman was on a hike with another person and three dogs. The group encountered the bear on a narrow, switch-back trail in an area with low visibility, according to an Alaska Department of Fish and Game news release. The bear came out of dense vegetation, made "brief contact" with one of the hikers, then left, the news release says. The other hiker and the dogs were uninjured.
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At the time of the rescue, Anchorage police deployed a drone to monitor for bear activity in the area, according to the department's news release. Officers located a brown bear nearby and monitored it to ensure that first responders and the injured hiker remained safe. Over the past year, the department has deployed more drones as part of an ongoing commitment to safety during incidents, the news release states.
In its news release, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said high winds and inclement weather may have increased the chance that the bear was surprised by the hikers and dogs, even if they were making noise.
Brown and black bears are reported in Bear Valley each year, hence the name, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The department is placing signs and flagging at trailheads to warn hikers of recent bear activity.
How many bear attacks happen in Alaska each year?
According to the State of Alaska Epidemiology in 2019, 68 people were hospitalized due to to bear attacks between 2000 and 2017. This averaged to 3.8 bear attack-related hospitalizations per year. During the same period, 10 bear-related deaths were reported.
How to stay safe from bears while hiking
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game advises hikers to travel in groups, make plenty of noise, carry a deterrent, ensure control of any pets and carry communication equipment when hiking in bear country.
The department encourages those who live near heavily bear-populated areas to keep garbage, animal food and livestock out of easily accessible areas.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hiker injured in brown bear attack in Alaska
