Wounded Bear in Flats May Have Been Lured by Intentionally-Opened Dumpsters

Jay Barrett/KMXT

It appears someone in Bell’s Flats is intentionally feeding bears and opening up the bear-resistant dumpsters in the middle of the night, giving the bruins access. In addition, according to Fish and Game biologist Larry Van Daele, a Flats bear has been shot and wounded with an arrow or a crossbow bolt. He says no firm connection has been made between the two events, but he does find it suspicious.

— (Bear 1 24 sec "I mean people in Kodiak are … these, these things.")

He told KMXT’s Jay Barrett the bear was shot with an arrow earlier this week – about the same time the dumpsters started being opened up:

— (Bear 2 38 sec "It’s an adult bear … interesting coincidence, isn’t it?")

Van Daele said the authorities are looking for help from Bell’s Flats residents to try and stop the illicit bear feeding.

— (Bear 3 17 sec "What we’re doing … bear gets hurt because of it.")

He said so far this summer there have been no problem bears around Kodiak City, but the bears are very focused on packing on the pounds for winter, especially now when the pink salmon are running.

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(The version of the story below ran on the Associated Press wire.)

A large adult brown bear in Kodiak has recently been shot and wounded with an arrow. Authorities believe the injury won’t cause the bear any lasting harm, but they are asking residents of the Bell’s Flats neighborhood to be extra cautious.

Kodiak Fish and Game biologist Larry Van Daele said someone in the neighborhood where the bear was shot started opening the bear-resistant Dumpsters at night earlier this week, perhaps as a way to lure bears within shooting distance.

He said that kind of behavior is not tolerable, and believes it is only one or two people who are feeding the bears, and perhaps shooting at them. He said Alaska Wildlife Troopers are investigating, and they’re asking residents for help in catching the perpetrators before any humans or bears are injured or killed.

Though many bears fish for salmon in the rivers and creeks that run through Bell’s Flats, none have caused any trouble this summer.