No Place for Orphaned Black Bear Cubs

Jessy Coltrane said she does everything she can to try to find homes for young bears

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By Heather Hintze
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Story Created: Jul 27, 2012 at 7:47 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jul 28, 2012 at 8:54 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE – Wildlife biologists with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the decision to put down three black bear cubs wasn’t an easy one. Jessy Coltrane said she did everything she could to try to find a home for them.

“I always call and double check. Something else might have come up. I push our permitting office, check again and again to see if they have any placements. Unfortunately the answer kept coming back no,” said Coltrane.


Zoos around the country come up with wish lists of animals they have room for. The Permitting Office in Juneau solicits those lists to see which animals can be placed from Alaska. This year there was only one request for black bear cubs and that was filled a few weeks ago.


“Unfortunately when we don't have additional placement our only option is to put those animals down. Especially if they're very young cubs like these were, they're not going to make it through the winter,” said Coltrane.


Last month the Alaska Zoo temporarily took in three black bear cubs that were orphaned when their mom was killed after repeatedly getting into campers and stealing food. The cubs spent a few weeks there before heading to their permanent home in Michigan.


“That's a rarity because black bears are found in most of the other states so it's pretty rare that a zoo will take a black bear from Alaska. So it's fortunate those three found a home, but it's unfortunate the other didn't,” said Executive Director Pat Lampi. “It's tough when you get to some species because there's just not enough homes out there.”


Lampi said the zoo already has two healthy black bears and is actually over capacity on brown bears.
“We were holding one a few years ago for a facility in the Lower 48 that backed out at the end of the year. So we have one we didn't anticipate. We're making do and we're actually spending money to build a third den to accommodate it.”


He said the facility just doesn’t have any more room for orphaned animals.


“You can't take in more than you can handle. That's why we have our list, and we have to turn down animals too. You don't to put too many animals in one exhibit and ruin the quality of life for all of them,” said Lampi.


With zoos across the country out of room for black bear cubs, wildlife biologists hope they won’t come across any more orphans because those will likely have to be put down as well.


Fish and Game also said the situation could have been avoided if residents would lock up their trash until pick-up day. Many of the bears killed this year had been repeatedly getting into garbage. Putting trash cans out the night before is illegal and carries a $300 fine.
 

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Jared B. said on Friday, Jul 27 at 10:28 PM

I am appalled at the video footage your station aired tonight of these three dead black bear cubs. Images of dead cubs with blood dripping from their mouths and being tossed into trash bags is not what people, especially CHILDREN, need to see. That kind of image is heartbreaking to children and borderline traumatizing. I understand the importance of reporting the story, but discretion can be used as to the images provided for such a story. Whoever was responsible for the decision to air that footage used VERY poor judgement and I refuse to watch a news station that uses NON family friendly images like that to report their news!

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David C. said on Friday, Jul 27 at 11:28 PM

So, the Alaska zoo could "temporarily" take in 3 cubs before, but they couldn't do it again? I know many people believe they are "just bears" and they deserve to be killed, but it seems we are setting a more reckless precedent each year in terms of our decisions with how to treat these animals that help make Alaska such a unique place to live.

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Fishcake said on Saturday, Jul 28 at 1:10 AM

I may sound stupid.... but why not put those adult bears back to mother nature and make space for the new cubs on the block. Or something.... other than putting them down.

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heartbroken said on Saturday, Jul 28 at 7:17 AM

where do we report the people who are violating the laws by setting out their garbage the night before. My neighborhood could bring in thousands of dollars for the cost to relocate these natural residents of the Anch area. I am so furious these babies were killed!!!!

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sam said on Saturday, Jul 28 at 8:14 AM

no i think it was good judgement jared. probably individuals like yourself causing the problem by not properly handling your trash. stupid lazy iconsiderate people need to see these images. maybe it will stop

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fishtails said on Saturday, Jul 28 at 9:35 AM

@Jared B I understand what your saying but it's not a cute little story. Maybe this is what people need to see in order to clean up their trash. A disclaimer that it isn't appropriate for children may have been smart but on the other hand kids are the ones who often remind us when we are doing something wrong. If kids realize that leaving trash out etc is wrong they'll remind the adults.

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amazed said on Saturday, Jul 28 at 12:42 PM

Was completely unaware that it was illegal to put cans out the night before. As apparently are most people by the fact that most in my nieghborhood are out the night before. Is this Anchorage wide? Or did I miss a detail. Really should be a better communicated message apparently.

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mama said on Saturday, Jul 28 at 8:29 PM

Really, would it make that much of a difference if the trash was put out the night before or the morning of trash pickup? We do not have bear proof cans due to the trash company not wanting us to use them. I have to wonder why they didn't relocate these four bears???? I am pretty irritated with fish and game blaming people with regular trash cans as the problem.

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Typical said on Saturday, Jul 28 at 9:22 PM

Jared apparently likes his news with a strong Disney element. The reality is this mama bear was trying to feed herself and triplets and garbage is an easy way to do that. If people were responsible and used appropriate containers which were set out the day of collection her opportunity to feed garbage to the cubs would have been severely limited, and she would have turned to alternate means. If you can't be responsible, don't live here. And face reality head-on. Being squeamish about killing them only helps if you try to PREVENT it, not turn your face away after the fact.

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