No plans to hunt down bear after Alaska mauling; 1 victim in intensive care in Seattle

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Authorities in Alaska say they have no plans to hunt down a bear that mauled two wilderness guides who were leading cruise ship passengers on a hiking excursion in the Tongass National Forest.


Alaska State Troopers say the attack occurred after the group from the cruise vessel Wilderness Explorer came between the female animal and its cub Thursday on a trail about 30 miles north of Sitka.

Sitka District Ranger Perry Edwards says Forest Service law enforcement officers and state wildlife troopers have determined the attack was a defensive, non-predatory move. He says bears are common in the area, which is near a salmon stream.

The names of the guides — a man and a woman — have not been released.

The female guide was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she is listed in serious condition in intensive care.