Downtown black bear put down

Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists say they had to put down a large black bear after it became nuisance in the downtown Juneau area and reportedly chased residents on two separate occasions.

Wildlife biologist Ryan Scott credits downtown area business and residents for working to minimize opportunities for bears to get into garbage dumpsters and cans. But the 400 pound male, estimated at eight- to ten-years old, was continuing to be destructive throughout the summer. Scott said that this ‘bear had been on their radar’ for some time.

He said they got a report from Juneau Police about an individual being chased by a bear late Tuesday night in the vicinity of the tram terminal.

Scott said they later found the bear, and darted and captured him in Pocket Park. They took the bear to an undisclosed location early Wednesday morning, away from residential areas, and euthanized him.

It’s one of those things that you don’t do in a residential area. And it was in the middle of the night.”

He said they later got back to the office and received another report of another person being chased by what was believed to be the same bear.

Scott said this is the second Juneau-area bear they’ve had to put down this summer. Another was an adult female that he says was becoming very destructive toward vehicles and structures in the Tee Harbor area.

Two other bears, an adult collared female also from Tee Harbor and a young female, were trapped and have been relocated.

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