Third problem bear last week killed near Selief on Friday

Three problem bears were killed last week. Each one was caught eating garbage from a dumpster on Selief Lane, according to Fish & Game area biologist Nate Svoboda.

KPD shot the third one on Selief Thursday night, though it wasn’t immediately killed.

“It’s my understanding that once again the dumpster was left open,” Svoboda said. “Either that or there was trash left outside the dumpster which has been a pretty common occurrence unfortunately on Selief Lane.”

This third bear was about eight feet tall, a six or seven-year-old male weighing about 900 pounds. Svoboda said the injured bear wandered only about 50 yards from the dumpster, and KPD, wildlife troopers, and Fish & Game were able to find the bear and put it down on Friday.

It’s a reminder that even in the winter, being “bear aware” is as necessary as ever.

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game recommends keeping all garbage securely indoors until the morning of trash pick-up. For dumpster users, make sure the bear-proof closures are securely locked.

A number of bears have also been breaking into cars lately, and Svoboda says it’s important to keep anything aromatic in a vehicle.

“Even car fresheners and things like that. These are things that bears can certainly smell and just based on their curiosity will often investigate those.

“Other things a lot of people forget sometimes,” he added, “if you live in an area that happens to be active with bear behavior — bird feeders, dog food on your porch, if you’re raising poultry or livestock, that can also bring them into your area. These are all things that people need to be aware of. And if you live in an area where with increased bear activity, I would recommend that you remove all that stuff, at least for the time being.

Certainly with the third bear put down, the risk of problem bears is not gone. Svoboda says they had a few reports Monday morning and over the weekend of another bear breaking into a vehicle.