(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - It’s an official sign of springtime in Alaska: Bears are being seen in town. It’s also the cue for Alaskans to ramp up their “bear etiquette” by cleaning up food attractants around homes and neighborhoods.

Because it’s early in the season, natural foods are scarce in many parts of the state. This can make human- provided attractants particularly inviting to bears. Feeding bears, even unintentionally, is illegal and can result in fines. If we keep bears out of human-provided food now, we can prevent bears from forming bad habits and creating problems later in the summer.

To prevent bear problems this summer, biologists suggest the following:

• Garbage - Store trash inside buildings or in bear-proof containers; keep secured until the day of scheduled pickup. Encourage neighbors to do the same.

• Livestock, fruit trees, and compost – Use properly constructed electric fences to exclude bears from gardens, compost, chicken coops, and domestic animals.

• Barbecues - Clean barbecue grills, especially grease traps, after each use.

• Pets - Feed pets indoors or clean up excess and spilled food between meals. Store pet food, livestock food, and birdseed indoors or in bear-resistant containers.

• Bird Feeders – Take feeders down April–October, store out of bears’ reach and remove spilled seed. • Freezers - Keep freezers locked in a secure building.

Help keep your community safe by securing attractants so bears can stay wild and free. If you or someone you know is having trouble with bears getting into an attractant, call the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Ketchikan at 907-225-2475 for assistance.




Edited By: Mary Kauffman, SitNews



Source of News:

Alaska Dept of Fish & Game
Region I, Ketchikan Area Office
www.adfg.alaska.gov

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