It is common knowledge that feeding bears is dangerous for both people and bears, like drunk driving.

Is it not HBPDs job to help keep our community safe? Yes, it does look like, sadly, these particular bears need to be killed. It is not a mystery how they became conditioned to human food. There are many reasons why, but one obvious one is that attractants, like freezers and other yummies, are often left on porches.

It is and has been for many years, against the law to feed bears. “A person may not intentionally feed a …. bear,…, or negligently leave human food, animal food, or garbage in a manner that attracts these animals” 5AAC 92.230(a)(1). It is also against the law to kill a bear you have attracted by improperly storing human food, animal food, or garbage.

I got fined about a hundred bucks a while ago for not having my headlights on after dark in town. As a result, I’m more aware of that now.

The concept of law enforcement is based on our understanding of behavioral conditioning, which applies to both bears and humans. If we really want to prevent bear problems long term, consistent law enforcement is a crucial piece of the solution.

Heidi Robichaud