Spring is returning to Anchorage, and so are the city's bears, with local officials warning people to store trash properly and avoid irritating the animals.
Corey Stantorff, an Anchorage area biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said Tuesday that his staff has received only a few local reports of bears so far this year, primarily from the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson area. .
Anchorage police posted on Facebook a close-up photo of a black bear inside a trash can that was seen in the Government Hill area near the base Monday evening. The person who reported the sighting to a police dispatcher said “people were crowding around it to take pictures” and urged police to give bears and other urban wildlife more space. ing.
“Can we locals please stop acting like tourists?” police wrote.
Stantorff said police were the only ones responding to the call, adding that Fish and Game staff have not shot any bears in Anchorage so far this season.
He said Monday's incident is a good reminder for residents to regain awareness of bears as they return to the city. A good first step is to secure bird feeders and other potential attractants, such as trash, and store them in locked, bear-proof containers. Feeding games is a violation under state law and carries a $320 fine.
“If you know anything about bears, this is why they keep coming into your neighborhood,” Stantorff said. “Once they see there's a food source out there, they'll come back.”
This winter's snow dump caused moose to flock to downtown areas, resulting in the city's second-deepest snowfall ever recorded.
But Stantorff said deep snow doesn't have much of an effect on bears because they tend to stay close to their dens right after emerging from hibernation.
“The only thing that a lot of snow might hinder them with is the ease of movement (soft snow vs. hard snow) when foraging in the spring. Otherwise there doesn't seem to be any effect,” he said. said in an email. .
Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared April Bear Awareness Month, and Fish and Game posted a Facebook video featuring bear safety tips.
Residents can call police at 311 about people in immediate danger from wild animals. Local Fish and Game offices also accept telephone reports of wildlife, which can also be submitted through the Fish and Game website.
Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter for Alaska Public Media.please contact him cklint@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Chris here.
