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Grizzly Bear Shot and Killed By Hikers In Denali National Park and Preserve

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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

I think it's ridiculous that we have to wait until teeth or claws are ripping into our flesh before we should react. No one knows a Bear's intent and I believe if a Bear is charging, that's a good enough indicator to shoot 1st to protect human life in my opinion. 


How tragic for the bear, whose home was invaded by humans who did not need to be there. Humans continue to insist our desires and pleasures and entertainment come before the rights of every other being, with often fatal results to wildlife. Why didn't the Hikers have bear spray? One less individual bear is dead, in shrinking numbers now. All because people insisted that their desire to "recreate"  and place themselves in a precarious situation superseded a bear who was just trying to live away from humans, as Nature intended. 


I take exception to your comment that we invaded its home. This earth is all our home. Humans are not restricted to established cities that are bear free. We as humans have just as much right to be in the wilderness as the bear. And we too are just trying to live out our lives and part of that may just be hiking or camping, or just pursuing our interests - just as the bears are doing. Bears will react any any number of ways to another animal and we don't know how that encounter is going to play out. Personnally knowing a bear can easily kill me, you'd bet if I was that close to it I would be drawing a gun as well if I had mine with me. And to see it charging me or someone else. I would not stand there debating its intentions. I'd kill the animal.


Bill: And we too are just trying to live out our lives and part of that may just be hiking or camping, or just pursuing our interests - just as the bears are doing.

But it's about attitude.  It's their territory and we as humans are just visitors.  Why go into another's territory with the attitude about dominating the landscape.  It's far more important to go in understanding bear behavior and having respect for them than an attitude that if they approach then start shooting.

I've been there.  I've seen that bear that I know was strong enough to kill me but I stopped to figure out what its intentions were.  I've certainly heard about the cases where someone went out with a gun in a campground and started shooting at a bear (that was actually going out after the shooter's improperly stored food) in an occupied campground.  Sure he hit it, but what if he had hit someone sleeping in a tent?


I'm not saying that you are wrong or right, but I find it a bit closed-minded to say "I have no doubt."  You doubt the backpacker's account but do not doubt your own armchair assessment.  Your assessment wreaks of pre-conceived bias.  Grizzly attacks undoubtedly do happen and it is conceivable this bear may have attacked.


I live in Alaska and have hiked throughout much of it; I have also worked for the National Park Service. And, in this case I do make a judgment. My judgment is people hiking and camping in lands where bears and other wildlife live, and especially the national parks, should enter them without carrying fire arms.

When in Denali, are people in the bears' home or are they in ours? To the extent we want places set aside as wilderness are we humans willing to make accommodations?

Very few humans are injured in Alaska and elsewhere by Brown or Grizzly Bears. However, when in a place such as Denali do/ought we defer to bears or exert mastery over them by carring firearms with the possible consequence of their death?

I have found a little understanding and patience and proper behavior with bears is all that is needed. And if this does not work it is the bear who has prevailed as it should be in his home.

I have always been an Edward Abbey fan, and still resent his dying several decades ago. I believe he understood and conveyed more in his writing than most people feel when "out beyond." And in this case I believe Abbey would say we do not carry guns into Denali, for it is the bears and wolf and moose and eagles that own the land.

Can we have a wilderness without a risk?


Amazing thread, still going strong after seven years.  

Altho I consider myself a tree-hugger I cannot extend the same courtesy to natural wild predators.  If a wild predator were to charge at me or my companions there is no question I would shoot to kill and not hesitate, and note I said "charging".  If I can walk away or scare it away, great.  Otherwise I am going to protect my life and my group first, and I don't care whose "territory" it is.


Can't say because I live in FL only black bears here although they are getting to be a problem here. The tricky part is someone like me on vacation up there hiking and a bear charges I'm not going to look and see if the bear is male or female, has cubs or not, is really mad or just bluffing etc because I am not familiar with bears I would probably just start shooting to kill the bear before he closed the distance to me.


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