9-year-old boy seriously injured in bear attack while hunting in Alaska; bear shot dead by family member
A 9-year-old boy was seriously injured by a brown bear while hunting north of Anchorage, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.
The child and a 41-year-old man were hunting Tuesday night in the Palmer Hay Flats area about 35 miles from the state's largest city when they came upon the bear, troopers said in an online statement.
The bear mauled the boy, leaving him with serious injuries. The adult, who troopers say suffered minor injuries, shot and killed the bear.
Both hunters were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Troopers say the two are related, but did not identify how. Troopers also did not immediately release their names or the boy's current condition.
Troopers and Alaska Department of Fish and Game personnel were expected back in the hay flats area Wednesday to continue the investigation.
Earlier this month, a Michigan man who was visiting Alaska was mauled by a grizzly bear. Although he suffered "serious puncture wounds," 33-year-old Nicholas Kuperus stopped the attack using bear spray. Kuperus was also hunting at the time of the attack, which happened about 60 miles north of Glennallen.
Also this year, a U.S. Army soldier died of injuries sustained during a bear attack in a military training area in Alaska.
There have been several other non-fatal bear attacks across the U.S. this year, including in Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and Wyoming.