A soldier in Alaska died Tuesday after being attacked by a bear who wildlife officials say may have been trying to protect her cubs.
After he was mauled, スタッフ軍曹. Seth Michael Plant was transported to the Army base hospital where he was pronounced dead, Army Alaska said in a news release Thursday.
Another soldier was also injured during the attack, リリースは言った, and was treated for minor injuries and released.
Plant was an infantryman from the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and was working in a training area at Joint Base Elmendorf- リチャードソン (JBER) when the attack took place, リリースによると.
“スタッフ軍曹. Plant was an integral part of our organization,” とLtは言った. 大佐. デビッドJ. ネルソン, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment in a statement. “He was a positive and dedicated leader who brought joy and energy to the paratroopers who served with him.”
Plant, 30, was the recipient of several awards and decorations, including the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
“彼はいつも笑顔でした, he always went above and beyond what was asked of him, and he served as an inspiration to all who had the privilege to know him,” ネルソンは言った. “His loss is deeply felt within our organization, and we offer our sincere condolences to friends and family.”
Prior to joining the active-duty Army in January 2015, Plant, who is from Saint Augustine, フロリダ, served in the reserves and was stationed at Fort Benning, ジョージア, and Fort Bragg, ノースカロライナ州, リリースによると. He arrived at JBER in July 2021.
Likely a defensive attack by a female bear
The area where Plant was attacked is in a remote part of the military base, according to a release from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Department employees were called to the area after the attack occurred and found a bear den nearby with two brown bear cubs in it.
“From everything we know so far, based on the scene investigation and information from other responding agencies, this appears to be a defensive attack by a female bear protecting her cubs,” said Cyndi Wardlow, Southcentral Regional Supervisor for the department in the news release. “We are trying to learn everything we can about what happened to increase public safety around wildlife in Alaska.”
All three species of North American bears live in Alaska, according to the ADFG website, although hair collected from the scene suggests it was a brown bear, 部門は言った. While the animals tend to “avoid or ignore people,” they can be dangerous, 部門は言う.
An adult bear was seen on game cameras returning to the den and leaving with the cubs, 部門は言った.
“A bear that is considered a public safety threat or involved in a fatal attack may be killed by the Department,” the ADFG release said.
Army Criminal Investigation Division personnel are working with the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and other agencies to investigate the attack.
