Woman attacked by brown bear while hiking with friend and 3 dogs near Alaska state park

A woman was attacked by a brown bear Saturday while hiking with a friend and three dogs near a state park in Alaska, authorities said.

The woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover, the Anchorage Police Department (APD) said Sunday.

The attack happened late afternoon near the Bear Valley residential neighborhood, adjacent to Chugach State Park in south Anchorage, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) said in a separate statement on Monday.

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Officials said the hikers were on an unofficial, user-made trail that climbs a steep hillside in a zigzag pattern. The area was heavily overgrown with dense vegetation, which created poor visibility and increased the risk of surprising wildlife, ADF&G said.

“The bear came out of the dense alders, made brief contact with one of the hikers, and left the scene,” ADF&G said.

One of the victim’s dogs was also off leash during the encounter and became separated from the group, according to the authorities. Another group of hikers later found the “uninjured dog and brought it back to safety, ultimately returning it to its home,” ADF&G said.

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According to wildlife officials, bears are known to cache and defend food sources this time of year and noted reports that at least one moose had recently been killed nearby.

“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,” ADF&G said.

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“There are many private and public trails throughout Anchorage and the surrounding area that are overgrown at this time of year with tall grass and leafed out shrubs, which can greatly increase the chances of surprise encounters with wildlife.”

First responders from multiple agencies, including the Anchorage Fire Department, Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Alaska State Troopers, responded.

Upon arrival, police officers reportedly hiked up the trail to locate the injured adult.

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Firefighters then carried the injured woman down the trail before transporting her to a hospital.

During the rescue, APD officers deployed a drone and located a brown bear nearby. Officers continued monitoring the bear throughout the rescue, allowing first responders to safely treat and evacuate the injured hiker.