Alaska Fish and Game says bears are waking up in Anchorage and residents need to be prepared.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Anchorage resident David Watsjold was sitting on a bench on the Turnagain Arm trail earlier this week when he looked up and saw a black bear on the trail no more than 20 feet away. “If I’d sat there, he probably would have walked on by me,” Watsjold said. “But I stood up because I needed to get my bear spray and my camera. And he turned around and ran down the trail.”
Watsjold took a video with his camera that shows what appears to be a healthy two-year-old black bear scurrying down the trail in the opposite direction. Fish and Game Biologist Cory Stantorf said people need to be aware that bears are waking up and be prepared. The department has received reports of several black bears in Anchorage and at least one brown bear in Eagle River.
“Generally, they hang around their dens for about a week,“ Stantorf said. “Then they start meandering down to find food. And Anchorage is a real good spot to find food that includes chickens, bird feeders, pet food, birdseed.” All of which, Stantorf said, needs to be cleaned up and put away. Trash needs to go out the morning it’s collected, and yes, even bird feeders have to come down.
“A small bird feeder has about one pound of birdseed,” Stantorf said. “That represents two to three days for bears feeding on natural forage in the wild, so that’s analogous to a black bear hitting McDonalds.”
Stantorf said there are also financial consequences for people who don’t abide by this advice. Anyone cited with negligent feeding of wildlife, including bears, can face a fine of $320.
Removing attractants for bears in town is important, but so is being prepared to meet bears in the wild. Stantorf said people should travel in groups, if possible, make noise, carry bear spray and keep pets on leashes.“Whether it’s brown or black, stand your ground, make yourself look big, talk to that bear, ready your deterrent.”
Stantorf said if people do have a negative encounter, they want to hear about it. “The biggest thing is if people have any encounters — especially negative encounters with bears — or see bears getting into trash, birdfeeders, dog food, is to report that to your local fish and game office or the Alaska Wildlife Troopers so we can address that early and quickly to mitigate a problem before it escalates.”
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