Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Good Clean Livin
The largest bear enclosure in the United States is found here at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Solar electricity powers the electric fence that encloses 18 acres of land, and water is pumped into the pond by the rotations of a nearby windmill. Bears are fed local Alaskan salmon, road killed moose, dog food, carrots and apples. With such a large enclosure, bears can be observed displaying their natural, "wild" behaviors.
Conservation
Brown bears once inhabited much of North America but today occupy less than 1% of their former range. Bears are sensitive to habitat destruction and human encroachment. As people move into brown bear habitat, we often compete with them for food and space. Some bears are killed by people defending their lives or property. Such incidents can be reduced by properly disposing garbage and learning how to behave around bears in the wild.
Grizzly or Brown Bear?
Although formerly classified as a separate species, brown bears and grizzly bears are technically the same species, Ursus arctos. Bears that are found inland are often referred to as "grizzlies" and feed mainly on root, berries and ground dwelling rodents. The term "brown bear" is commonly used to refer to bears found in coastal areas where protein rich salmon is their main food source. Size is determined by what the bears have to eat and how long they have to eat it. For this reason, coastal brown bears are typically larger than interior grizzlies.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center-Adaption Form AWCC Form 1167—Case: 244-01;
Animal: Brown Bear; Sex: Female; Name: Hugo; Date of Birth; Winter (Jan/Feb) 2000; Date Found: Nov. 16, 2000; Location Found: Hugo Mountain near Kotzebu, AK;
Description of Incident:
Two men riding snowmobiles found a small cub with hundreds of porcupine quille imbedded in her paws. She was severely dehydrated, malnourished and was unable to walk or eat. Placement; Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for care, treatment, and a permanent home.; Since she was orphaned at such a young age, she cannot learn the necessary skills need to survive in the wild.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Adaption Form AWCC Form 1167. Case:24402;
Animal; 2 Brown Bears; Sex: 1 female and 1 male; Name: Joe Boxer (JB) and Patron; Date of Birth: Winter (Jan/Feb) 2004; Date Found: September 4, 2004; Location Found: Willow, AK;
Description of Incident:
A brown bear sow killed a moose calf in a resident's back yard. The man was afraid that the bear might try to attack his pet dog, so he got his gun and shot the sow, not knowing that she had cubs in a nearby tree. In Alaska, it is legal to kill a bear in defense of life and property, but these types of deaths can affect bear population in urban environments: Placement: The siblings will be kept together and join Hugo the grizzly at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Comments 0 comments