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A 9-year-old boy was seriously injured by a brown bear while hunting north of Anchorage, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday.
Troopers said the bear attacked two people — a 41-year-old male and a 9-year-old boy — near mile 36 of the Glenn Highway, at the end of Matanuska Townsite Road on Tuesday.
The man and young boy came across a brown bear sow and her cub while hunting in the Palmer Hay Flats area. The bear mauled the boy, leaving him with serious injuries. The adult who was accompanying the child was armed and shot and killed the brown bear during the attack.
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Both hunters were taken to a nearby local hospital for treatment.
Troopers say the two are related, but they have not specified how. Troopers also did not immediately release the name of the boy or his current condition.
Troopers and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are expected to be back in the area Wednesday to continue investigating, and they will perform a necropsy on the bear’s remains on Wednesday afternoon.
Previously, residents reported several encounters with a bear that has wreaked havoc on chicken coops. Troopers are investigating if this is the same bear that killed dozens of chickens and turkeys.