As 45-year-old Sean Berkey headed to work on Tuesday morning, he crossed the east end of Rover’s End trail on his bike, and came upon a grizzly bear and her young cub. Berkey stopped his bike, and the surprised sow charged.
Bruce Bartley, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, says Berkey first used his bike as a momentary shield, and proceeded to play dead. Despite his strategies to ward the animal off, the bear eventually swatted at Berkey’s ear and bit him in the leg, police said. However, Berkey’s injuries are “fairly minor,” according to Bartley.
After the incident, Berkey was able to get back on his bike and ride to the Alaska Native Medical Center, where he works as a pediatric pharmacist. Berkey was met at the medical center by a police officer. After, Berkey declined to speak with the Associated Press about his encounter with the bear.
Bartley said the consequences for the bear would likely be minimal because of the case–she was scared by the cyclist and simply defended her cub. “By this guy’s account, this was absolutely a bear being a bear,” he said. “He stumbled on to a sow with a cub at close quarters.”
[Via: SFGate]
[Photo Via: Alan Vernon.]
I live in anchorage and this trail is notorious for bears. This is where petra Davis was also attacked a couple years ago. Great bike ride though!