A grizzly bear that emerged from a thicket and charged two backpackers in the backcountry of Denali National Park and Preserve was shot and killed by one of the two who was carrying a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, according to park officials.
The killing Friday is believed to be the first instance of a hiker killing a grizzly in the park's wilderness. The killing occurred in the original Mount McKinley National Park portion of the Denali, which was expanded by two-thirds in 1980.
Until February, when Congress changed the rules, it was illegal to carry a loaded firearm in that portion of Denali. While the rule change now allows hikers to carry firearms in all areas of Denali, it still is illegal to discharge them, park officials said.
Park officials did not speculate whether the killing was justified. This is believed to be the first instance of a visitor to a national park killing an animal with a firearm since the gun regulations were changed.
According to a release from the park, the two backpackers, a man and woman, were hiking in dense brush along the edge of Tattler Creek, which is at the west end of Igloo Canyon roughly 35 miles from the park headquarters.
"The man, who was in the lead, drew a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol when they heard a noise coming from the brush. When the bear emerged from the thicket and ran toward the other hiker, he fired approximately nine rounds in its general direction. The bear stopped, turned, and walked back into the brush, where it quickly disappeared from view," said the release.
The two then headed roughly 1.5 miles back to a road, where they encountered a park employee, who called in the incident and took the two backpackers to the Toklat Road Camp. A ranger there did a short preliminary interview with them at approximately 10:00 p.m. Because of the concern that a wounded bear was in the area, four backcountry units were immediately closed, and bus drivers were instructed to not drop off day hikers in the Igloo Canyon on Saturday.
"Early Saturday morning rangers and wildlife technicians flew to Toklat via helicopter to conduct a secondary interview with the two backpackers. Afterwards they flew over Tattler Creek and all of side tributaries, very low at times, to determine if there was an active, wounded bear," the park release said. "No bears were seen during the overflight, and late in the afternoon three rangers hiked into the site. The bear was found dead in a willow thicket approximately 100 feet from the pistol casings at approximately 6:00 p.m.
"The bear’s body was transported via helicopter to a landing site on the park road and brought back to headquarters on Sunday, where park wildlife biologists are assisting with the investigation of the bear carcass. The backcountry units have been reopened."
The case is still under investigation, and the names of the backpackers are not being released at this time. Park wildlife biologists and rangers are trying to determine if there was a justification for shooting the animal.
The estimated grizzly bear population in the park north of the Alaska Range north is 300-350 animals.
Comments
If a bear charges at 35 mph at me or my family time is critical...you can't over think. Sometimes common sense screams self preservation. I've been mauled before. Don't think I'll say oh nice Mr. Bear while he snacks on me. Split judgement split reaction. Human before animals.
calling someone a "stupid tree hugger" is a very convincing argument. Discussions on NPT have really gone to crap.
Just a question for the adventurers that choose to go into griz territory. That is thier backyard why go in it? Bragging rights? Too many people crawling all over this planets' remote wilderness areas like ants. Just stay out and no harm to wildlife and your selfish selfs. Unless of course you need to boast about it in the bar and impress people that don't care anyway.
Why take the chance? A bluff charge or not it's going down.
the bear charged them. Was it shot in the back ? If no, move on, sorry bear. If they are so concerned with BLM ( Bear Lives Matter), cut off hiking in the region during high bear activity.
Yes, I Agree, Priorities In This Moronic, "Politically
Correct, Sham", We Currently Live With, Have Seriously Been
Re-Arranged, & Need A Big Dose, Of Common Sense!! This
From A Dedicated, Conservationist, & Wildlife Champion.
Law Abiding, Responsible, Citizen's, Must Have The Right
To Defend Themselves, & If Bear Spray, Doesn't Stop A Dangerous,
Animal Attack, Then, "The Final Solution", IS A Powerful, Firearm!!!
"I have no dobt" Hmmm, that is a unsubstantiated opinion. You were not there and you said your self that you do not know all the facts. This may be a justified bear shooting or maybe not. However it seems quite clear that jumping to conclusions makes you appear as an idiot.
i have an issue with a lot of the statement listed above. So your telling me that you want people to figure out the judgement and thinking of a bear? If a person charges another with a knife it could take less the 3 second for a person to run up and stab a person within 7' distance. Now with that said a bear is much faster and I am sure they can close the gap a lot faster. So if the bears are protected animals(which they showed be) if a bear viciously attacks a person and kills them can the family sue the national park for the bears actions?!?! It only seems fair since you have tree hugger aggressively protecting the bear and pursue charges for hikers. Which I am sure the charges would be some bullshit charge that has many ways which It can be view. Tree huggers and park officers forget that the law is written as "what the common man believe" key words common... not trained park police or trained guild. I guarantee that if u take the same tree hugger or tree cop and throw them into the ghetto of Chicago or LA they would shot a thug just as fast as the hikers shot the bear..... but amongst people the tree cop a huggers would claim self defense and get away with it. I am just say think outside the box.