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Authorities used the help of drones to monitor the bear while fire personnel rescued the hiker from the trail
NEED TO KNOW
- A woman was injured by a brown bear while hiking with another person and three dogs in Alaska on July 18
- Rescue teams used drones to monitor the bear’s activity as fire personnel got the hiker safely down from the trail
- Officials, who say they receive several reports a year of bear encounters in private and public trails in Anchorage, warned hikers to stay cautious
A woman was left injured after she was attacked by a bear while on a hike in Alaska.
The incident happened on a trail in the area of Kenai Terrace Road and Brewsters Drive in Bear Valley at around 5:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, July 18, the Anchorage Police Department (APD) shared on Facebook.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) said the woman had been hiking at the time with another individual and three dogs when they encountered a brown bear on a “narrow” uphill trail in an area “with heavy vegetation and low visibility.”
“The bear came out of the dense alders, made brief contact with one of the hikers, and left the scene,” the ADFG said in a statement.
“High winds and inclement weather conditions at the time of the encounter may have increased the chance that the bear was surprised by the hikers and their dogs, even if they were making noise,” the agency added.
The woman sustained “non-life-threatening injuries” in the incident, the APD said. She was carried down the trail by Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) personnel and transported to a local hospital.
As the rescue was taking place, APD said officers deployed a drone to monitor for bear activity in the area, and eventually located a brown bear at a nearby hillside. Drone footage shared by the APD showed the bear walking around a densely vegetated area near a tree.
The APD said they monitored the bear’s activity through the drones to “ensure that first responders and the injured hiker remained safe during the rescue.” The department said it has been deploying “more drones and pilots” as part of an ongoing commitment to “safety during incidents.”
The ADFG said that they get several reports each year of brown bears and black bears near the area where the bear attack was reported, which borders Chugach State Park. They also said they were “placing signs and flagging at trailheads warning people of recent bear activity.”
“At least one moose kill has been reported nearby and there is the potential for bears to cache and defend food sources,” ADFG said in a statement.
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ADFG said it recommends that people who travel on private and public trails throughout Anchorage and in nearby areas do so in groups, and that they make noise, carry deterrents, ensure pets are controlled and carry communication devices when out hiking.
“Always be prepared for the chance of a wildlife encounter, even on trails adjacent to neighborhoods or along roadways,” the agency warned.
Read the original article on People
