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Two soldiers from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, were injured in a brown bear attack on Friday during a training session.
“The incident involved two soldiers participating in a land navigation training exercise,” a news statement from the 11th Airborne Division, of which both soldiers are a part, said. “Both individuals sustained injuries and are currently receiving appropriate medical care. For privacy reasons, we are not releasing names or specific details about their conditions until next of kin has been notified.”
Further details on the extent of the soldiers’ injuries were not made available as the investigation is ongoing, officials said.
Both soldiers carried and deployed bear spray during the land navigation training exercise, according to the statement provided to CBS News.
It was likely a defensive attack by a bear recently emerging from a den after hibernating during the winter, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said after an investigation. Officials said they weren’t able to locate a bear when scouring the remote region.
“We hope both individuals have a full and quick recovery, and our thoughts are with them during this time. ADF&G will continue investigating the circumstances that led to the attack and try to learn everything we can about what happened to increase public safety around wildlife in Alaska,” Regional Supervisor Cyndi Wardlow said in a statement. “In this case, having bear spray with them in the field may have saved their lives.”
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is home to more than 40,000 people, of whom more than half are active duty military members. In addition to the 11th Airborne, it is also the home of the 673d Air Base Wing and U.S. Army Alaska.
It is not unheard of for soldiers to be attacked by bears at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. In May 2022, a soldier, identified as Staff Sgt. Seth Michael Plant, 30, was killed when he was attacked by a bear west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill, according to the base.
Bear attacks are fairly common in Alaska due to the large population. There are about 100,000 black bears and 30,000 brown bears in Alaska, according to the Department of Fish and Game.
There were 68 people hospitalized following bear attacks in the state from 2000 to 2017, according to a study by Alaska’s Section of Epidemiology. The vast majority of attacks – similar to the one on Thursday – are by brown bears, about 96%, according to the study.
There were 10 fatalities resulting from eight separate attacks over that time period, the study showed.
