Pre-Hibernation Bear Sightings on the Rise in City

Jay Barrett/KMXT
There’re a lot of reports this week of a bear sighting in the Selief Lane area of Kodiak. At least one, and perhaps two, brown bears were reported on Tuesday in the area between the 1200-block and the 1600-block, roughly from Maple Avenue to Lynden Way. Another sighting reported earlier to the Kodiak Police Department included a bear crossing Mill Bay Road.
The reports are generally at night between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. A Dumpster near the small park on Selief seems to be a favorite location, as well as backyard residential garbage cans.
Police officers have tried sirens and lights to scare the bear back into the nearby woods, but have had to resort to setting off noise making “cracker rounds” or shooting into the ground near the animals.
Residents are advised to exercise caution when it’s dark, report all sightings and make sure there is no garbage or pet food near the home, which would attract a hungry bear.