The remains of a hunter who authorities believe was fatally mauled by a bear were recovered Wednesday from a remote region in Southeast Alaska where such attacks are rare.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday evening, the man, Tad Fujioka, 50, was reported overdue from a deer hunting trip in the Sitka area of Alaska, which is near Juneau, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Teams from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Sitka Fire Department’s search-and-rescue division conducted land-based searches in the remote wooded area Wednesday and found Fujioka’s remains about 11 a.m., the Department of Public Safety said.<\/p>\n
“Investigation revealed he was the likely victim of a fatal bear mauling,” the agency said in a statement, noting that Fujioka’s family had been notified. Tim DeSpain, a department spokesperson, said that a Coast Guard helicopter had found three brown bears in the area of the deer kill.<\/p>\n
Bear attacks on humans are rare in Alaska, which is home to three types of bears — black, brown and polar — according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.<\/p>\n
“It is not uncommon for residents or visitors to Alaska to see bears, usually from a safe distance,” the department said. “But even if you don’t see a bear, you will never be far from one; Alaska is bear country.”<\/p>\n
In January 2023, a polar bear killed a woman and her 1-year-old son in a remote village in western Alaska after it chased “multiple residents,’’ officials said at the time.<\/p>\n
That attack took place near a school in Wales, a remote village on the western edge of the Seward Peninsula.<\/p>\n
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game provides a list of tips for how people can stay safe around bears while hunting in the state.<\/p>\n
Tips include staying calm during a bear encounter and having a deterrent ready, like a bear spray.<\/p>\n
“Stand your ground, group up with others and alert the bear by talking calmly,” the department said, adding, “Don’t run.”<\/p>\n