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Third Bear Killed in AnchorageWednesday night, Fish and Game was forced to put down a third brown bearRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - It’s been a bad year for brown bears in Anchorage. Wednesday night, Fish and Game was forced to put down a third brown bear. People who live near John’s Park in Oceanview aren’t used to seeing bears in their neighborhood. It’s one reason why Kevin Sykes was shocked when he awoke to his mother’s screams. “We woke up at seven o'clock in the morning, it was the scariest part," said Sykes. “My mom was on the back steps freaking out, just screaming and screaming.” When Sykes saw what all the commotion was about, he was scared too. A large brown bear was on a path directly behind his house. It was a young adult male that was ambling through the neighborhood. “We have lots of brown bears in Anchorage,” said Jessy Coltrane, of Fish and Game. “Usually they mind their P’s and Q’s and no one ever sees them.” But Coltrane says there is an increase in activity of young adult bears that are two or three years old who keep getting into trouble. “They’ve recently left their mothers and they are still figuring out how to be bears,” says Coltrane, adding those bears are the types that most often get shot. That’s what happened to this bear Wednesday evening. Coltrane said it was more or less trapped in a neighborhood with nowhere to go. When the bear killed and starting eating a moose calf in someone’s back yard, it sealed its fate. “They are eating a moose calf in your yard and it's defensive. If you accidentally startle that animal it would be a concern that it could do someone bodily harm,” says Coltrane. “So for that very reason we removed this bear.” |
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Scott Morgen said on Monday, Jun 11 at 12:07 PM
Killing and eating its natural prey "sealed the bear's fate"? I guess we kill them all then. I'm on the bandwagon for moving the bear out of the area without killing.
93443065Rhonda said on Sunday, Jun 10 at 5:18 PM
Why was she screaming, was the bear threatening to her or was he just chowing on the moose, go in the house lady and call your friends in California, tell them you have had an Alaskan experience.
93386736Hazen said on Friday, Jun 8 at 8:32 PM
That guy sounds pretty brave for going outside with the beast, I know I wouldn't. I heard he grabbed a saddle and rode the bear for a bit before the Fish & Game showed, pretty impressive.
93269385D said on Friday, Jun 8 at 11:27 AM
Its important to remember they are gods creatures too. Too bad for the bear and the moose calf. And yes people invade the territories of animals all the time. More people should use birth control and the human population would not be what it is.
93238146The Dude said on Friday, Jun 8 at 7:36 AM
“My mom was on the back steps freaking out, just screaming and screaming.” Anchorage really isn't a part of Alaska, is it?
93217893John said on Friday, Jun 8 at 4:23 AM
Both human and bear population in Anchorage have been increasing, so it's not just us humans that have been putting pressure on the bears habitat.
93201634John said on Friday, Jun 8 at 4:20 AM
The Bears might not have been here first. Humans have been on the planet a long time.
93201443Tina said on Friday, Jun 8 at 12:59 AM
What do people expect when they build their houses where the bear were first..They could have sedated the bear and moved it!
93193034smitty said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 11:33 PM
bear was doing it's job....fish & game kill the predators....big mistake
93190544Nowayman said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 11:31 PM
We took their house away? where do you think we should live? Mars? They should not be roaming through town like that. Get rid of all the bears here before one takes a child playing in the yard. I'm sooo glad I was raised with common sense LOL. Anchorage is a city , not a zoo! We won't tolerate dogs running loose, but we want lions, tigers, and bears running through our back yards... You Nut cases.
93190495Anonymous said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 11:12 PM
It's f'ing Alaska. I'm so glad my father raised me to realize WE TOOK THEIR HOUSE AWAY
93190085Annonomous said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 7:56 PM
Why could Fish and Game not tranquilizer the bear and move it instead of killing it?
93183426SNB said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 7:44 PM
This was just a couple houses down from me. I had just been enjoying watching the moose calves the evening before. Very sad the bear had to be killed though. Not a good situation either way.
93182606Big Dan said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 7:19 PM
I think all "good" bears should go to heaven. There is one more "good" bear on his way to bear heaven, where all the streams are full of slow fish and there are no cans of smelly garbage in your yard to lure them in.
93181196Sam Hall said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 7:02 PM
While one can understand the first cooment on this story..the situation was this not small young beat was already in a backyard..which would mean under the right condtions he would be again. then with the likey situation of a young moose calf like this situation was in your backyard..you could have a situation of danger to people and your pets as well. he could easily feel he could come back in anytime.
93180345Wes said on Thursday, Jun 7 at 6:34 PM
I don't suppose it is too much to ask the screaming woman to be quiet and just watch the bear until he drags off the kill. I'm not in love with the bears; I just don't like unnecessary killing.
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