A runner was injured in a bear attack on a well-used Alaska trail, but officials said she managed to stop the encounter by using bear spray.
The attack happened Thursday near the Prospect Heights trailhead in Anchorage, according to Alaska’s Fish and Wildlife Department, which detailed the incident in a statement. The woman, who was running alone on the Wolverine Bowl Trail, was attacked by a brown bear before deploying bear spray and making it back to the trailhead without assistance, officials said.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital for treatment. Authorities did not provide details about how seriously she was hurt.
Wildlife biologists later spoke with the runner and examined the area where the attack occurred, searching for evidence of bear activity and collecting samples. No bears were found at the scene, the department said.
Officials posted warning signs at the trailhead and cautioned hikers to avoid any trails that have been closed.
“Thick, dense summer foliage can block sightlines making surprise encounters more likely,” the department said. “Choose hiking routes with good visibility and away from known attractants, like salmon-bearing streams.”
The agency also emphasized the importance of carrying bear spray and practicing how to use it, including “particularly removing the safety and being sure any additional shipping zip-ties are cut away.”
Bear encounters are a persistent concern in Alaska, where hundreds of thousands of bears live across the state. Wildlife officials estimate that in some southern regions, there may be as many as one bear per square mile.
The incident follows a series of other recent attacks. Last month, a woman was attacked and injured by a bear while hiking with a friend and three dogs in southern Alaska. Also in July, in Kenai, a local resident was mauled by a brown bear that had climbed over the fence into her front yard, with its two cubs, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
In April, two soldiers from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, were injured in a brown bear attack during a training session.
Last year, a woman suffered serious injuries when a bear attacked her outside her home as she went out to go for a jog in southern Alaska.
There were 68 people hospitalized following bear attacks in the state from 2000 to 2017, according to a study by Alaska’s Section of Epidemiology. The vast majority of attacks, about 96%, are by brown bears, according to the study.
