Officials in Anchorage are warning hikers to be cautious around rivers and streams where salmon are currently running after two bear attacks occurred within a week. Both attacks took place in separate areas of the Anchorage municipality, a vast region covering nearly 2,000 square miles that blends urban life with wilderness. The city is home to about 290,000 residents as well as a diverse population of wildlife, including hundreds of black and brown bears and over a thousand moose. Wildlife encounters are common in the area, with some local groups even sharing frequent images and videos of bears and other animals passing close to residential neighborhoods.
The most recent attack happened on Saturday near Eagle River, when a man hiking along a trail by the river encountered a brown bear and her cub after his unleashed dog startled them. The bear mauled the man, who used his entire can of bear spray twice to stop the attack, allowing the sow and cub to retreat into the woods. Rangers and state officials searched for the bear on foot and with drones but did not locate it, noting that the attack was a defensive response and that they do not plan to kill the animal. The earlier attack occurred on July 22 when a woman hiking in the Stuckagain Heights neighborhood was bitten by a bear while on a trail with thick brush and limited visibility. Investigators collected hair and scat samples to determine whether it was a brown bear or a cinnamon-colored black bear, but results are still pending. Authorities are urging hikers to avoid salmon-heavy areas during this season, travel in groups, make noise, carry bear spray, keep pets leashed, and remain alert to reduce the risk of encounters.