A black bear was killed after attacking dogs at a popular campground outside Anchorage Tuesday.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Spokesman Ken Marsh said the adult black bear was shot by campers at the Eklutna Lake campground Tuesday after an encounter with campers led to the second reported dog attack in a week.
Marsh said reports of the first attack came over the weekend, when a black bear dragged a Newfoundland dog from the campground to the lake's edge. He said bicyclists sprayed the bear with bear spray and the bear released the dog. Marsh said the dog survived, though it suffered several puncture wounds.
On Tuesday, Marsh said, a bear came close to a family's campsite. According to Marsh, the bear moved closer to a child, alerting the family's dog.
The bear then attacked the dog. Marsh said a man at the campsite fired shots at the bear, scaring it away. The shots alerted other campers, who went after the bear to kill it.
"It was quite the brouhaha," he said. "It sounds like the bear was being aggressive."
Marsh said the shooting appears to be a justifiable defense of life and property. A call to the Alaska State Parks superintendent was not immediately returned Tuesday evening.