Biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) shot and killed black four bears in an area where a teenage runner died after being attacked by a bear.
“This is a serious situation, and we wanted to ensure we got the correct bear,” ADFG spokesman Ken Marsh, told the Alaska Dispatch News. “There’s already been a fatality involved with this animal. It was a risk we couldn’t allow to continue.”
A park ranger shot a bear that refused to leave the attack scene and thought it sustained a wound to the head. Biologists later shot three other bears from a helicopter. A bear with a head wound matching the ranger’s description was among the four animals that turned up dead.
16-year-old Patrick Cooper of Anchorage died on an organized trail run. He texted his parents that a bear was chasing him.
(Photo courtesy: Alaska Department of Fish and Game)