We were exiting the house of a member of our ward just recently when a neighbor across the street yelled for us to stay inside because a black bear was in the space between the houses. We ran to the deck with the member and saw a bear making an exit from the neighbors' backyard, having just raided the garbage can.
The bear proceeded to visit all the neighboring houses and raided the garbage cans for food. We jumped into our car and followed the bear to get pictures and observe the Olympic "dumpster diving" technique Alaskan black bear style.
We saw the bear knock down a garbage can, paw the top open and then pull all the garbage out. It then ripped open a bag and proceeded to investigate anything the smelled of food. She (as it turns out) found one deli container that was half filled and she did quite the job on it. When she got to the bottom, she was even sticking in her paw to get the last of whatever was in it. When she finished, she had a white spot 0n her nose from the contents.
Eventually, we left for our apartment happy in the knowledge that not only did we get to see a bear while here in Alaska, but we got to see the bear and take several photos of the "cutie."
We learned yesterday that the state wildlife people shot her to remove her from contact with people. Bears who get used to people also have a tendency to attack dummies who get too close. So, the reason for the "bear-ectomy." The news really saddened us. She was so cute - despite the danger she represented.
Even sadder, neighbors not far away from where we saw her, reported three wandering black bear cubs two or three days later, which the wildlife people caught and "sent to the other side of the happy hunting ground." The whole thing seemed to be a sad shame to the both of us. But, there are so many bears close to the city that it would be prohibitive to "dart" the animals and haul them far enough inland to keep them away from humans. Sad!
The bear proceeded to visit all the neighboring houses and raided the garbage cans for food. We jumped into our car and followed the bear to get pictures and observe the Olympic "dumpster diving" technique Alaskan black bear style.
We saw the bear knock down a garbage can, paw the top open and then pull all the garbage out. It then ripped open a bag and proceeded to investigate anything the smelled of food. She (as it turns out) found one deli container that was half filled and she did quite the job on it. When she got to the bottom, she was even sticking in her paw to get the last of whatever was in it. When she finished, she had a white spot 0n her nose from the contents.
Eventually, we left for our apartment happy in the knowledge that not only did we get to see a bear while here in Alaska, but we got to see the bear and take several photos of the "cutie."
We learned yesterday that the state wildlife people shot her to remove her from contact with people. Bears who get used to people also have a tendency to attack dummies who get too close. So, the reason for the "bear-ectomy." The news really saddened us. She was so cute - despite the danger she represented.
Even sadder, neighbors not far away from where we saw her, reported three wandering black bear cubs two or three days later, which the wildlife people caught and "sent to the other side of the happy hunting ground." The whole thing seemed to be a sad shame to the both of us. But, there are so many bears close to the city that it would be prohibitive to "dart" the animals and haul them far enough inland to keep them away from humans. Sad!
Here she is emerging from a backyard.
She got quite close to us heading to the next house.
Moving to the next "restaurant."
Movin' on...
Ain't she cute???
Cute and deadly.
Nosing through the goodies
You really need to enlarge the pictures to appreciate...
the "cuteness" of the little Momma.
I wonder what the deli item was...
Whatever the food was, she absolutely loved it.
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