A Michigan man was attacked by a grizzly north of Glennallen on Tuesday after he and his hunting partners surprised the bear and her three cubs, Alaska State Troopers said.
Nicholas Kuperus, 33, shouted at the bear, but she continued to charge forward, said Heidi Hatcher, a wildlife biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Kuperus sprayed the bear with bear spray, which Hatcher said deterred the attack. He had serious puncture wounds in his arms.
Neither Kuperus nor his two hunting partners shot at the bear, said troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain.
Troopers were notified of the attack just after 5 p.m. and said they were able to communicate with Kuperus using a satellite device. The group had been hunting for moose about 60 miles north of Glennallen in the upper East Fork Indian River area, DeSpain said.
Glennallen troopers responded by plane and landed on a nearby ridgetop. Kuperus was brought to an ambulance in Glennallen, according to troopers.
The bear attacked defensively, so it is not expected to attack or cause additional problems, Hatcher said.
This is the first bear mauling to happen in the Glennallen area this season, she said. Several maulings have been reported in the Anchorage area this year, including one on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in May that was fatal.
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