Picture at link does not show the actual area of the attack. This is a spot I fish a lot and just a few minutes from my door. Have never seen evidence of bears there or close...
http://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wild...attack-initially-reported-as-a-stabbing/Bear shot and killed in area of reported Wednesday-night mauling in Anchorage
Author: Chris Klint Updated: 3 hours ago Published 3 hours ago
Campbell Lake and the Campbell Creek estuary in southwest Anchorage are seen in this file photo from July 2002. (Marc Lester / ADN)
Update: A black bear has been killed near Campbell Creek Estuary Park, where a man was apparently mauled Wednesday night.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists shot the bear Thursday while investigating the mauling, after it reportedly approached a resident of the area.
Fish and Game spokesperson Ken Marsh said the bear was killed with a single shot from a 12-gauge shotgun about 150 yards southeast of the trailhead, the same area where the suspected mauling occurred.
Marsh said the bear appeared to be "fearless" as it approached the resident, who backed into his house to get away from it.
It remained unclear if the bear was the same one that might have been involved in the Wednesday incident. Marsh said biologists would collect DNA from the animal and compare it with material gathered from the clothing of the man who was attacked.
Original Story: A man critically injured Wednesday night near Campbell Creek Estuary Park in Anchorage may have been mauled by a bear, Anchorage police believe.
An initial call reporting a possible stabbing near Edinburgh and Selkirk drives came in shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said in a statement Thursday. The man, who had "multiple wounds and was bleeding" when he emerged from woods in the area, according to the caller, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
"The caller stated the male was barely responsive and looked like he may have been cut with a knife," Castro wrote. "After further investigating and working with medical staff at the hospital, it was determined that the male was likely attacked by a bear."
Castro said police haven't yet been able to speak with the man, who remained in critical condition Thursday morning. Evidence from the scene, as well as an examination of his wounds by medics, led police to believe a bear might be involved.
"When we searched the area, there was indication in the woods that he might have been dragged by something," Castro said. "(The man's injuries) were more consistent with an animal attack than a knife wound or stabbing."
Ken Marsh, a spokesman with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said two biologists with the department were at the scene and investigating the incident Thursday.
"They haven't determined for sure there was an attack by wildlife, or what kind of wildlife it might have been," Marsh said. "At this point, they haven't determined just what happened."
The Campbell Creek Estuary Natural Area has several trails cutting through it, including overlooks of Campbell Creek and the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, according to the municipal Department of Parks and Recreation. A small parking area is accessible from Selkirk Drive.
The park — a 60-acre area near the mouth of the creek, west of Campbell Lake — was formed as the result of a deal with the Great Land Trust.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
