A Kenai resident suffered serious injuries early Thursday after a brown bear with two cubs entered her yard and attacked, Alaska State Troopers said. The woman was airlifted to a hospital in Anchorage for treatment.
What happened
Troopers say the incident occurred just before 5 a.m. near the intersection of Karluk Avenue and Bore Tide Drive. The woman had let her two dogs outside when a brown bear and cubs climbed a fence into her front yard. One dog ran back into the home; the other escaped from the door.
“In an effort to protect the dog in the front yard, the woman retrieved a shotgun from inside the house, then fired 3 or 4 rounds trying to scare the bears away,” troopers wrote in an online statement.
After the shots failed to deter the sow, troopers say the bear attacked the woman while she stood on the front deck. A person at the house then yelled and scared the animal away. The victim was carried back into the home and later flown by helicopter to Anchorage.
Response and investigation
Personnel from Alaska Wildlife Troopers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game responded to the scene. Officials collected biological samples left by the bears as part of their investigation into the encounter.
- Location: Karluk Avenue and Bore Tide Drive, Kenai
- Time: just before 5 a.m. Thursday
- Animals involved: brown bear (sow) with two cubs
- Victim: woman (not publicly identified), medevaced to Anchorage
Public safety and reporting
Troopers and Fish and Game noted the animals had been disturbing bird feeders in the yard before the encounter. Officials urged residents to report any brown bear sightings in the Kenai area to Fish and Game.
| What to report | Phone |
|---|---|
| Kenai-area brown bear sightings | 907-262-4453 |
This incident highlights ongoing human-bear conflicts in populated parts of the Kenai Peninsula, especially where attractants such as bird feeders draw wildlife into yards. Residents should secure attractants, keep pets supervised outdoors and avoid approaching bears. Fish and Game maintains guidance on minimizing conflicts and responding to bear encounters.
Alaska State Troopers asked anyone with information or additional sightings to contact local authorities. Further details about the woman’s condition were not released.
