A hunter was mauled by a grizzly bear protecting its cubs in Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, park officials said.
On Wednesday, 39-year-old Jason Long of Eagle River, Alaska, was alone on a hunt near the Chisana River when a mother bear and its two cubs attacked him.
“He activated the SOS button on his Inreach device, triggering an Air National Guard rescue mission, coordinated with the National Park Service,” park officials said in a news release.
A Rescue Squadron Hawk from the Eielson Air Force Base was already airborne on a routine mission when the distress call came in. The helicopter was diverted by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center to Long’s location.
Authorities found Long with lacerations and puncture wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital from where he was transferred to multiple facilities, officials said. He was last taken to the Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage where his condition was stable, NBC News reported.
Officials say the bear’s attack was defensive in nature as it was trying to protect its offspring. They do not plan to relocate the bear as there was no indication of the animal being “unusually dangerous.”
Grizzly bears were among the first species to be protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1975, which helped increase their population over the years.
The National Park Service said it is important to be “bear aware” when camping, hiking, or hunting in Alaska’s national parks. Authorities are asking people to follow bear safety protocols when in the park or in the wilderness.
According to CBS News, a moose hunter was last year killed in Wrangell-St. Elias. The incident marked the first known fatal bear attack in the park since it was established in 1980.
In July, the Alaskan Coast Guard rescued a man who fended off attacks from a wild grizzly bear for a week straight in the Alaskan wilderness. An aircrew first spotted an “SOS” written on top of a shack during a routine check.
The aircrew then landed and helped transport the victim to a medical facility where he was treated for a leg injury and bruising.
A female grizzly bear is seen in a Colorado sanctuary in October 2011 Photo: GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / JOHN MOORE
