22 August 2014

Bears: Breaking & Entering

Rash of bear break-ins hits Northwest Alaska cabins 

http://www.adn.com/sites/default/files/styles/ad_slideshow_wide/public/140819BearDamage_cyrus-surveying-damag.jpg?itok=4w6VFndD
This photo & several others are found with the linked article.
Northwest Alaska is having a cabin break-in problem. But in a twist, the issue isn’t troublemaking teenagers; it’s curious bears looking to find their next treat.

“Dozens and dozens” of cabins all across the region have been ransacked by bears this summer, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game Kotzebue area wildlife biologist Jim Dau.

From Selawik to Sheshalik, to Noorvik, Kiana and Ambler, residents are reporting their remote cabins have been raided by roaming brown bears. While bear break-ins in the region are not uncommon (last year there were about a dozen) Dau said he’s hearing of more -- and more widespread -- than usual.

The uptick in break-ins appears to be related to several factors. Dau said anecdotally the brown bear population in Northwest Alaska appears to be rising. Berries aren’t great in the region this year and Dau said that’s forcing bears toward chum salmon-heavy waterways, including rivers and the coast. That’s also where most people have subsistence use cabins.



Read the whole article here.

9 comments:

Cathy said...

Well . . I guess I'll take a break from salmon fishing and berry picking this year.
((cough)) I don't think I'd enjoy the company.

Rev. Paul said...

Cathy, I guess you'll never quite be an Alaskan. :)

Old NFO said...

Yeah, leaving rations (while smart), is also dumb if they are not vac-sealed...

Cathy said...

Sadly . . .I fear you're right.
;)

Rev. Paul said...

It's okay, Cathy; you could still visit. :)

NFO, I hear you. There's a reason folks used to put their supplies in a separate structure, 100 yards away & 12 feet in the air.

ProudHillbilly said...

The cabins don't look very sturdy either. And there's a reason campers (should) hang their supplies from a tree away from their tents. You'd think folks in big bear territory would understand that.

Rev. Paul said...

PH, I should explain that most of the Alaskan bush is literally a third-world country. There are few trees, fewer stores, and NO roads. Obtaining building materials is nearly impossible; many of those folks live in what are little more than tar-paper shacks.

Anything they have arrived either in the back of a plane, or on a barge (if they're fortunate enough to be near the coast). And it cost a LOT.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

There must be some witty way of linking Dutch Harbor with bears behaving badly; I just can't come up with it.

Rev. Paul said...

You're probably right, WSF, but "bears behaving badly" is a far better title than the one I used. :)