Troopers have identified the victim of a fatal bear mauling last Thursday near Hope.
46-year old Daniel Schilling of Hope was found dead by family and friends after he was overdue to come home. Troopers say he was out clearing a trail about a mile behind his property, which is about mile 8 of the Hope Highway, that day, but his wife became concerned when he was late and his dog came home without him.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game believes it was a brown bear, based on samples they gathered at the site, including of hair. Cyndi Wardlow, the regional supervisor with Fish and Game’s Division of Wildlife Conservation, says they did find evidence that bear spray had been used at the scene. There wasn’t any evidence of a den or bear kill, she says.
At this point, they’re looking for the bear that was involved, and if they find it they will euthanize it, she says. She added that Fish and Game offers its deepest sympathies to Schilling’s family and friends after the loss and is doing everything it can to put the pieces together about what happened.
Reach Elizabeth Earl at eearl@kdll.org.
