The Trump administration is trying change National Park Service policy to lift Obama-era bans on certain predator hunting practices, including bear baiting, taking wolves during the denning season and shining a spotlight into dens to shoot black bears.
Wildlife
Alaska dive fishermen plead for relief from sea otters
Sea otters have come back from the brink of extinction along Alaska’s Panhandle, but fishermen who dive for crab and other shellfish are seeking relief from their voracious appetites.
Walrus haul out near Bristol Bay village
Residents saw a few hundred walrus hauled out at the beginning of April. By the end of April, they reported seeing about a thousand. On a recent flight over the shoreline, an Alaska Fish and Game biologist saw only 100.
With 50-plus ringed seal sightings, Unalaskans start tracking the unexpected species
Ringed seals — an Arctic species that typically lives far north of the ice-free Aleutian Islands — are showing up.
Now, scientists are monitoring the unusual visitors to find out why they’re near Unalaska..
Wolf kills dog along Brotherhood Bridge Trail
Wildlife biologist Ryan Scott thinks the wolf just happened to kill a deer near the trail and was protecting its kill. He doesn’t think there’s any public safety or pet safety issue out of the ordinary.
Octopus eggs hatch at Alaska SeaLife Center
Alaska SeaLife Center’s family of octopuses is growing. A giant Pacific octopus, named Gilligan, laid thousands of eggs about a year ago. Less than a hundred hatched this month. Aquarium curator Richard Hocking expects the remaining eggs to hatch by the end of May.
Can Alaska bison help save permafrost? Russian scientists want to find out
Part of the theory is that herd animals pack down snow, freezing the soil much deeper. Other herd effects may also reduce greenhouse gas production.
Five Juneau residents ordered to pay fines, restitution for deer poaching
Most of the defendants — including the operator of Moore Charters in Auke Bay — have pleaded guilty or no contest to the charges, and must pay fines and restitution.
Killing of 10 Denali wolves sparks debate over increasing protections for the animal
The killing of 10 wolves by a single hunter north of the Denali Highway, has raised new calls for protection of the animals in the Denali National Park region. Photos of an unidentified hunter with an AR-style rifle and a snow machine, surrounded by 10 wolf carcasses have circulated online.
Moose stomps on Alaska man’s foot after he kicked her
State officials say a man was injured north of Anchorage after a moose that he had just kicked stomped his foot in return.