Alaska officials kill bears near site of recent maulings

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska officials killed a brown bear and her two cubs Friday morning near the site of two recent bear maulings, including a fatal one.

Fish and Game officials shot the animals from a helicopter near the Anchorage suburb of Eagle River after an area resident reported the sighting.

Agency spokesman Ken Marsh says hair and tissue samples will be taken from the bears and compared with evidence collected at the scene of the maulings. Marsh says the cubs were at least 1 year old.

Area resident Michael Soltis was found dead June 20 near the site where a member of his search party was attacked by a brown bear earlier that day.

Police say it appeared the bear was protecting Soltis’ body when the searcher was attacked, sustaining non-life-threatening leg injuries.