Last month, a black bear entered a tent and injured a camper in a Portage Valley campground in Alaska. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has recently announced that the DNA taken from the bear does not match that of a black bear that was killed by authorities around 10 days later in the same area.
According to Cory Stantorf, the area biologist, it came as a surprise that both bears were males and displaying alarming behaviors in the same vicinity.
A woman sleeping inside a tent at the Williwaw Campground in the Chugach National Forest was scratched on the face by a black bear in mid-June. The bear managed to get into the tent in the middle of the night, causing the unfortunate incident.
According to Stantorf, there was no food present in the tent, and he was not aware of anything that could have drawn a bear’s attention.
According to him, bears attempting to enter tents is not a common occurrence. When a bear intentionally tries to get inside a tent, it is a peculiar and worrisome behavior.
Following the June 14th incident, the Forest Service decided to close down the Williwaw Campground, along with the Black Bear Campground, for tent camping due to ongoing bear activity.
According to Stantorf, a tent close to the campground was destroyed by a black bear about 10 days after the initial incident. The bear was attracted to the area due to the presence of food nearby. Frightened campers inside one of the tents called 911 for help. Unfortunately, Forest Service officers had to kill the bear, and it was later sent for testing.
According to Stantorf, even though the bear was not a match, it would have been euthanized regardless.
“He said that if a bear exhibits such behavior for the first time, they would euthanize the bear.”
According to Stantorf, despite the euthanization of the bear in late June, there is still a possibility that the original bear could be present. However, there have been no recent reports of unusual bear activity, and as a result, the Portage campgrounds have reopened. Nevertheless, Stantorf recommends that campers remain cautious and take extra precautions to ensure that their food is kept at a safe distance from their tents.
According to him, it’s important to keep anything with a strong scent, like perfume or lipstick, away from the tent. This will prevent the bear from being attracted to the tent and sniffing around.
According to Stantorf, it’s important for campers to have bear spray readily accessible, even during nighttime sleeping hours, as a deterrent against potential threats.