A female brown bear. (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
The state department of Fish and Game decided to euthanize three bears in Haines. The sow and two cubs eluded law enforcement and Alaska Department of Fish and Game over the weekend.
State biologists visited Haines over the weekend with a death warrant for a sow and two cubs who have a track record of destroying property. After four days of intensive tracking with the Haines Police Department they were unable to dispatch the bears.
Wildlife biologist Carl Koch says the decision to euthanize the bears was a hard one, but the complaints added up. He said relocating bears like these is usually ineffective.
“This bear has been causing enough property damage and now standing at the ground to people that are hazing it, at least in one situation. Most of the time, she’s pretty wary and runs away,” he said.
It’s not just this spring; the sow in question has a track record of indiscretions. She was collared and tagged at the landfill in the fall of 2018. Since last year, Koch said she’s racked up a list of offenses.
“She’s gotten on porches, gotten stuff from freezers, and torn into some buildings, tried to push into some garages and things like that. It kind of became progressively worse over time to where now it’s property damage. And there was even one report of pulling on the door of a house with a with people inside it. And this is what it’s come to,” Koch said.
Despite the tracking collar, the bears are still at large. Koch said it is extremely difficult to get close enough to bears to dart them. ADF&G turned the responsibility over to the Haines Police Department. Local law enforcement now has a public safety permit to kill the bears.
Koch said euthanasia is a defense of last resort.
“You know that it’s necessary in certain situations. Nobody, nobody that I know likes to do it. That’s why we try very hard… You know, the key take home for me here is: prevent this stuff as much as possible before the bears become food conditioned,” he said.
Koch advised residents to secure their coolers inside and eliminate bear attractants. He said if a bear is destroying property is it advisable to haze the bear from a safe distance while waiting for law enforcement.
And ADF&G tried to find a home for the cubs. Its search was as far-ranging as facilities in the lower-48, but the department came up empty-handed. All three bears are slated to be darted and euthanized—or shot, by the discretion of local law enforcement.
Thats weak they can try harder so lazy now 3 bears gotta die because they are lazy what a waste fire them get someone else to figure this out death is not the answer we must protect our animals not kill them bastards
I looks to me like law enforcement is taking the easy way out. The problem is not the bears it is the people in the way….there is way too many people.
The people are the problem not the bears…
Democrats love to complain, we need all democrats to leave america now.
Move the bears to Seattle, maybe they will eat the politicians and solve our problems here.
Heck send the bears to bidens house, now they would be saving america.
Bear sanctuary in Arizona will take them.
The cubs at least. They have recently taken 3 grizzly cubs. Bearazonia.
Cannot avoid to kill a mother and a cub like this..its a life not a thing to do like this..hope there is a hope to save them from die..love animals..