When he heard something had bitten his sister, Erik Stevens grabbed a light and went to investigate. "I shined the headlamp and opened the lid, and right there at the level of the toilet seat was a cinnamon-colored bear face, big enough to fill the hole."

The man was injured on his face and hands. Two members in the skiers party assisted with his injuries and communicate for help in 15 degree temperatures with sunset approaching. It was not immediately clear what triggered the mauling about 10 miles northwest of Haines.

The Haines Borough Assembly’s Commerce Committee began chipping away at a plan to address the borough’s bear problem at a meeting Tuesday. Proposals ranged from stronger enforcement of bear-attractant laws, to the development of education and grant programs to help people secure their attractants, to a complete overhaul of the community’s solid waste management system.

Possibly orphaned bear cubs are active during the winter when they should be hibernating.

Brown bear spotted on Kupreanof Island for the first time.

Black bear (Ursus americanus) sighted during a rather warm winter this year.

1-17-13 Winter brown bear - St Marys, Alaska, USA

A rare sighting to observe a brown bear in January.