Bear mauls man: Animal was 'goaded' into attack
| Anchorage, Alaska
A black聽bear聽mauled聽a聽man聽at a campground in Alaska, but the animal won't likely threaten other people, the state Department of Fish and Game said.
Spokesman Ken Marsh said the聽bear聽was "pretty much goaded" into the attack Saturday near Eklutna Lake Campground north of Anchorage because the聽man聽fed it meat from a church barbecue, the Anchorage Daily News (聽) reported.
The聽man聽could be charged with illegally feeding wildlife, according to Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen. He had been drinking and went for a bike ride, taking some of the food along, she said. The聽mancame across the聽bear聽and threw it a piece of meat. He then offered the聽bear聽another piece.
"That's when it kind of went ballistic," Ipsen said.
Park rangers later found the bloodied聽man聽washing himself off at the campground, Marsh said.
"He wasn't terribly coherent," he said. "He was unsure of where the attack actually happened."
The聽man聽was treated for punctures wounds and scratches at an Anchorage hospital. His name was not immediately released.
Authorities are still trying to sort out what happened, Ipsen said. There were no witnesses to the attack and the聽man聽struggled to convey what had happened when a trooper spoke with him at the hospital, she said.
A state biologist sent to the scene couldn't find the聽bear, Marsh said. There's no indication the animal will attack others.
"The聽bear聽was pretty much goaded into this," Marsh said.
Biologists advise people never to feed wild animals anything.
